The History Book Club discussion

Hello Everyone,

This begins the tenth week's reading in our new Spotlighted group discussion.

The complete table of contents is as follows:

SYLLABUS:

Table of Contents

Introduction xi - cvi
A Note on the Text – cvii – cviii
Acknowledgements – cix
Selected Further Readings – cx – cxi
Chronology – cxii –cxiii
Preface – 1 – 4
Advertisement 5

TOC – First Volume

ONE: The Extent and Military Force of the Empire, in the Age of the Antonines p. 31

TWO: Of the Union and Internal Prosperity of the Roman Empire in the Age of the Antonines p. 56

THREE: Of the Constitution of the Roman Empire in the Age of the Antonines p. 85

FOUR: The Cruelty, Follies, and Murder of Commodus – Election of Pertinax – His Attempts to reform the State. – His Assassination by the Pretorian Guards. p. 108

FIVE: Public Sale of the Empire to Didius Julianus by the Praetorian Guards. – Clodius Albinus in Britain, Pescennius Niger in Syria, and Septimius Severus in Pannonia, declare against the Murderers of Pertinax. – Civil Wars and Victory of Severus over his three Rivals. – Relaxation of Discipline, - New Maxims of Government. p. 127

SIX: The Death of Severus. – Tyranny of Caracellaa. – Usurpation of Macrinus. – Follies of Elagabulus. – Virtues of Alexander Severus. – Licentiousness of the Army. – General State of the Roman Finances. – p. 149

SEVEN: The Elevation and Tyranny of Maximin. – Rebellion in Africa and Italy, under the Authority of the Senate. – Civil Wars and Seditions. – Violent Deaths of Maximin and his Son, of Maximus and Balbinus, and of the three Gordians. – surpation and secular Games of Philip. p. 187

EIGHT: Of the State of Persia after the Restoration of the Monarchy of Artaxerxes p. 213

NINE: The State of Germany till the Invasion of the Barbarians, in the Time of the Emperor Decius. p. 230

TEN: The Emperor Decius, Gallus, Aemilianus, Valerian, and Gallienus. – The general Irruption of the Barbarians, - The thirty Tyrants. p. 253

ELEVEN: Reign of Claudius. – Defeat of the Goths. – Victories, Triumph, and Death of Aurelian. p. 295

TWELVE: Conduct of the Army and Senate after the Death of Aurelian. – Reigns of Tacitus, Probus, Carus, and his Sons. P. 327

THIRTEEN: The Reign of Diocletian and his three Associates, Maximian, Galerius, and Constantius, - General Re-establishment of Order and Tranquility. – The Persian War, Victory and Triumph. – The New Form of Administration. – Abdication and Retirement of Diocletian and Maximian. p. 358

FOURTEEN: Troubles after the Abdication of Diocletian. – Death of Constantius. – Elevation of Constantine and Maxentius. – Six Emperors at the Same Time. – Death of Maximian and Galerius. – Victories of Constantine over Maxentius and Licinius. – Re-union of the Empire under the Authority of Constantine. p. 400

FIFTEEN: The Progress of the Christian Religion, and the Sentiments, Manners, Numbers, and Condition of the primitive Christians. p. 446

SIXTEEN: The Conduct of the Roman Government towards the Christians, from the Reign of Nero to that of Constantine. p. 514


Appendix I – 1084 - 1105

Edward Gibbon

Note: This is a group membership selected book.

The assignment for this tenth week includes the following segments/pages:

WEEK TEN: TEN: The Emperor Decius, Gallus, Aemilianus, Valerian, and Gallienus. – The general Irruption of the Barbarians, - The thirty Tyrants. p. 253- 292



We look forward to your participation; but remember this is a non spoiler thread.

We will open up threads for each week's reading. Please make sure to post in the particular thread dedicated to those specific chapters and page numbers to avoid spoilers.

This book was kicked off on May 10th. This will be the tenth week's assignment for this book.

We look forward to your participation. Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other noted on line booksellers do have copies of the book and shipment can be expedited. The book can also be obtained easily at your local library.

A special welcome to those who will be newcomers to this discussion and thank you to those who have actively contributed on the previous Spotlighted book selection. We are glad to have you all.

Welcome,

~Bentley

TO ALWAYS SEE ALL WEEKS' THREADS SELECT VIEW ALL

Folks, as you are aware, I am keeping this going on schedule but will keep the threads open so that everyone can catch up and the discussion may continue.

Since I have had surgery, I am also in the position of catching up so there is no embarrassment in being behind. I want to make sure that all of the entries that I make are thorough and deal with the book in the way that it should be read and dealt with.

So by all means, please feel free to add to this thread as I am catching up.

Bentley

A plague kills half the people and its a moral decay that causes the empire to fall???

He seems to have the goths and the Franks at the same time. I thought there were several centuries in between these periods.

Do you refer to the closing sentence, "...War, pestilence, and famine, had consumed, in a few years, the moiety of the human species?"

I had that highlighted as well, partly because I had no idea what "moiety" meant before looking it up (half).

I had a hard time with this chapter and found myself having to think long about what I should conclude from what I read. In the end, I'm not sure I didn't invent some argument Gibbon didn't actually make. I think too much minutiae "oppressed my memory and perplexed my attention."

Patrick wrote: "Do you refer to the closing sentence, "...War, pestilence, and famine, had consumed, in a few years, the moiety of the human species?"

I had that highlighted as well, partly because I had no ide..."
It seems to me that loss of half your population to plague explains the collapse of the empire without having to drag in the loss of old roman virtue and republic. I've always wondered if the those writing about the loss of the old values are nothing more than what we see now about generation x or y. I know I am living in a world that seems increasingly odd to me.

Patricrk wrote: "Patrick wrote: "Do you refer to the closing sentence, "...War, pestilence, and famine, had consumed, in a few years, the moiety of the human species?"

I had that highlighted as well, partly beca..."

Hi Patricrk, I tend to agree with you. It seems like more external forces helped the Empire to fall without how badly the population acted although that didn't help in some cases but I think Gibbon is making too much of that issue. I think you are right too about the author writing more about his times than the Romans.