--- title: "5 Accidents Quotes By Edward Gibbon" description: "5 Accidents quotes by Edward Gibbon. Plus more from Edward Gibbon and more Accidents sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/edward-gibbon-710_accidents_the-decline-of-rome-was-the-natural-and_268417.jpg" --- > [The decline of Rome was the natural and inevitable effect of immoderate greatness. Prosperity ripened the principle of decay; the cause of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-decline-of-rome-was-the-natural-and-inevitable-effect-of/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/edward-gibbon-710_accidents_the-decline-of-rome-was-the-natural-and_268417.jpg) > [Philosophy had instructed Julian to compare the advantages of action and retirement; but the elevation of his birth and the accidents of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/philosophy-had-instructed-julian-to-compare-the-advantages-of-action/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/edward-gibbon-710_academy_philosophy-had-instructed-julian-to-comp_1440231.png) > [The fortune of nations has often depended on accidents . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-fortune-of-nations-has-often-depended-on-accidents/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/607/edward-gibbon-710_accidents_the-fortune-of-nations-has-often-depende_1781862.png) > [Every event, or appearance, or accident, which seems to deviate from the ordinary course of nature has been rashly ascribed to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/every-event-or-appearance-or-accident-which-seems-to-deviate-from-the/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76c/edward-gibbon-710_accident_every-event-or-appearance-or-accident-wh_2028136.png) > [History, in fact, is no more than a list of the crimes of humanity, human follies and accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/history-in-fact-is-no-more-than-a-list-of-the-crimes-of-humanity/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/edward-gibbon-710_accidents_history-in-fact-is-no-more-than-a-list-o_2291344.png) ## Other authors on Accidents - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b019/author-paul-virilio-74221.jpg) Paul Virilio 16 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/paul-virilio/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b001/author-francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-146.jpg) Francois de La Rochefoucauld 12 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) - [Samuel Johnson 11 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/samuel-johnson/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b011/author-henry-david-thoreau-41473.jpg) Henry David Thoreau 9 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/henry-david-thoreau/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b007/author-armin-ferizovic-25387.jpg) Armin Ferizovic 9 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/armin-ferizovic/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b009/author-francis-bacon-35434.jpg) Francis Bacon 8 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/francis-bacon/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b013/author-jodi-picoult-50321.jpg) Jodi Picoult 7 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/jodi-picoult/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b005/author-bill-vaughan-18061.jpg) Bill Vaughan 7 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/bill-vaughan/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b022/author-stephen-king-87054.jpg) Stephen King 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/stephen-king/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b020/author-rick-warren-79098.jpg) Rick Warren 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/rick-warren/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b017/author-michel-de-montaigne-67580.jpg) Michel de Montaigne 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/michel-de-montaigne/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b013/author-joel-osteen-50643.jpg) Joel Osteen 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/joel-osteen/) ## More by Edward Gibbon > [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [The sectaries of a persecuted religion, depressed by fear, animated with resentment, and perhaps heated by enthusiasm, are seldom in a proper temper of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-sectaries-of-a-persecuted-religion-depressed-by-fear-animated/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [A heart to resolve, a head to contrive, and a hand to execute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/a-heart-to-resolve-a-head-to-contrive-and-a-hand-to-execute/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [ \[In\] the national and religious conflict of the \[Byzantine and Saracen\] empires, peace was without confidence, and war without mercy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/in-the-national-and-religious-conflict-of-the-byzantine-and-saracen/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Instead of a perpetual and perfect measure of the divine will, the fragments of the Koran were produced at the discretion of Mahomet; each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/instead-of-a-perpetual-and-perfect-measure-of-the-divine-will-the/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Constantinople was the principal seat and fortress of Arianism; and, in a long interval of forty years, the faith of the princes and prelates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/constantinople-was-the-principal-seat-and-fortress-of-arianism-and-in/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [It is the common calamity of old age to lose whatever might have rendered it desirable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/it-is-the-common-calamity-of-old-age-to-lose-whatever-might-have/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [If a man were called to fix the period in the history of the world during which the condition of the human race was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/if-a-man-were-called-to-fix-the-period-in-the-history-of-the-world/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [If all the barbarian conquerors had been annihilated in the same hour, their total destruction would not have restored the empire of the West:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/if-all-the-barbarian-conquerors-had-been-annihilated-in-the-same-hour/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [But the desire of obtaining the advantages, and of escaping the burthens, of political society, is a perpetual and inexhaustible source of discord; nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/but-the-desire-of-obtaining-the-advantages-and-of-escaping-the/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [ \[Every\] hour of delay abates the fame and force of the invader, and multiplies the resources of defensive war. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/every-hour-of-delay-abates-the-fame-and-force-of-the-invader-and/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [The science of the church is neglected for the study of geometry, and they lose sight of Heaven while they are employed in measuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-science-of-the-church-is-neglected-for-the-study-of-geometry-and/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [The progress of despotism tends to disappoint its own purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-progress-of-despotism-tends-to-disappoint-its-own-purpose/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [From the paths of blood (and such is the history of nations) I cannot refuse to turn aside to gather some flowers of science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/from-the-paths-of-blood-and-such-is-the-history-of-nations-i-cannot/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [A nation of slaves is always prepared to applaud the clemency of their master who, in the abuse of absolute power, does not proceed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/a-nation-of-slaves-is-always-prepared-to-applaud-the-clemency-of/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/edward-gibbon/#itemlist", "name": "5 Accidents Quotes By Edward Gibbon", "numberOfItems": 5, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The decline of Rome was the natural and inevitable effect of immoderate greatness. 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