[The monks'] credulity debased and vitiated the faculties of the mind: they corrupted the evidence of history; and superstition gradually extinguished the… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
The retirement of Athanasius, which ended only with the life of Constantius, was spent, for the most part, in the society of… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
The peace of the Eastern church was invaded by a swarm of fanatics [monks], incapable of fear, or reason, or humanity; and… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
[All] the manly virtues were oppressed by the servile and pusillanimous reign of the monks. — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
Pleasure and guilt are synonymous terms in the language of the monks, and they discovered, by experience, that rigid fasts, and abstemious… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share
The sectaries of a persecuted religion, depressed by fear, animated with resentment, and perhaps heated by enthusiasm, are seldom in a proper temper of… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share
[In] the national and religious conflict of the [Byzantine and Saracen] empires, peace was without confidence, and war without mercy. — Edward Gibbon Copy Share
Instead of a perpetual and perfect measure of the divine will, the fragments of the Koran were produced at the discretion of Mahomet; each… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share
Constantinople was the principal seat and fortress of Arianism; and, in a long interval of forty years, the faith of the princes and prelates… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share
It is the common calamity of old age to lose whatever might have rendered it desirable. — Edward Gibbon Copy Share
If a man were called to fix the period in the history of the world during which the condition of the human race was… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share
If all the barbarian conquerors had been annihilated in the same hour, their total destruction would not have restored the empire of the West:… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share
But the desire of obtaining the advantages, and of escaping the burthens, of political society, is a perpetual and inexhaustible source of discord; nor… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share
[Every] hour of delay abates the fame and force of the invader, and multiplies the resources of defensive war. — Edward Gibbon Copy Share
The science of the church is neglected for the study of geometry, and they lose sight of Heaven while they are employed in measuring… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share
From the paths of blood (and such is the history of nations) I cannot refuse to turn aside to gather some flowers of science… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share
A nation of slaves is always prepared to applaud the clemency of their master who, in the abuse of absolute power, does not proceed… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share
![“[The monks'] minds were inaccessible to reason or mercy . . .” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/c42/edward-gibbon-710_compassion_the-monks-minds-were-inaccessible-to-rea_1531987.png)
![“[The monks'] credulity debased and vitiated the faculties of the mind: they corrupted the evidence of history; and superstition gradually extinguished the hostile light of philosophy and science.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/95e/edward-gibbon-710_credulity_the-monks-credulity-debased-and-vitiated_2004459.png)
![“The peace of the Eastern church was invaded by a swarm of fanatics [monks], incapable of fear, or reason, or humanity; and the Imperial troops acknowledged, without shame, that they were much less apprehensive of an encounter with the fiercest Barbarians.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/15b/edward-gibbon-710_barbarians_the-peace-of-the-eastern-church-was-inva_2066326.png)
![“[All] the manly virtues were oppressed by the servile and pusillanimous reign of the monks.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/cb5/edward-gibbon-710_manly_all-the-manly-virtues-were-oppressed-by_2529391.png)
