The science of the church is neglected for the study of geometry, and they lose sight of Heaven while they are employed… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
There are two very natural propensities which we may distinguish in the most virtuous and liberal dispositions, the love of pleasure and… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
Ignorant of the arts of luxury, the primitive Romans had improved the science of government and war. — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
A warlike nation like the Germans, without either cities, letters, arts, or money, found some compensation for this savage state in the… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
The Gauls were endowed with all the advantages of art and nature; but as they wanted courage to defend them, they were… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
The active, insatiate principle of self-love can alone supply the arts of life and the wages of industry; and as soon as… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
Agriculture is the foundation of manufactures; since the productions of nature are the materials of art. Under the Roman empire, the labour… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
The progress of manufactures and commerce insensibly collects a large multitude within the walls of a city: but these citizens are no… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
Fashion was the only law, pleasure the only pursuit, and the splendour of dress and furniture was the only distinction of the… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
In the purer ages of the commonwealth, the use of arms was reserved for those ranks of citizens who had a country… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
If we contrast the rapid progress of this mischievous discovery [gunpowder] with the slow and laborious advances of reason, science, and the… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
The nations, and the sects, of the Roman world, admitted with equal credulity, and similar abhorrence, the reality of that infernal art… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
“Edward Gibbon, in his classic work on the fall of the Roman Empire, describes the Roman era's declension as a place where… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
The slightest force, when it is applied to assist and guide the natural descent of its object, operates with irresistible weight; and… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
“If we contrast the rapid progress of this mischievous discovery [of gunpowder] with the slow and laborious advances of reason, science, and… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
Greek is doubtless the most perfect [language] that has been contrived by the art of man. — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
Yet the arts of Severus cannot be justified by the most ample privileges of state reason. He promised only to betray; he… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
In this primitive and abject state [of hunters and gatherers], which ill deserves the name of society, the human brute, without arts… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
Genius may anticipate the season of maturity; but in the education of a people, as in that of an individual, memory must… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
“The five marks of the Roman decaying culture: Concern with displaying affluence instead of building wealth; Obsession with sex and perversions of… — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
Unprovided with original learning, unformed in the habits of thinking, unskilled in the arts of composition, I resolved to write a book. — 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 Image
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 Image
[In] the national and religious conflict of the [Byzantine and Saracen] empires, peace was without confidence, and war without mercy. — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
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 Image
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 Image
It is the common calamity of old age to lose whatever might have rendered it desirable. — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
[Every] hour of delay abates the fame and force of the invader, and multiplies the resources of defensive war. — Edward Gibbon Copy Share Image
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 Image
![“If we contrast the rapid progress of this mischievous discovery [gunpowder] with the slow and laborious advances of reason, science, and the arts of peace, a philosopher, according to his temper, will laugh or weep at the folly of mankind.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/12f/edward-gibbon-710_art_if-we-contrast-the-rapid-progress-of-thi_1234386.jpg)
![“The nations, and the sects, of the Roman world, admitted with equal credulity, and similar abhorrence, the reality of that infernal art [witchcraft], which was able to control the eternal order of the planets, and the voluntary operations of the human mind. . . . They believed, with the wildest…” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2cd/edward-gibbon-710_abhorrence_the-nations-and-the-sects-of-the-roman-w_1507076.jpg)
![“If we contrast the rapid progress of this mischievous discovery [of gunpowder] with the slow and laborious advances of reason, science, and the arts of peace, a philosopher, according to his temper, will laugh or weep at the folly of mankind" (Chapter 65,p. 68)” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8ae/edward-gibbon-710_art_if-we-contrast-the-rapid-progress-of-thi_1734580.jpg)
![“Greek is doubtless the most perfect [language] that has been contrived by the art of man.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d62/edward-gibbon-710_art_greek-is-doubtless-the-most-perfect-lang_2662448.jpg)
![“In this primitive and abject state [of hunters and gatherers], which ill deserves the name of society, the human brute, without arts or laws, almost without sense or language, is poorly distinguished from the rest of the animal creation.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/de0/edward-gibbon-710_animal_in-this-primitive-and-abject-state-of-hu_2722444.jpg)
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
![“[In] the national and religious conflict of the [Byzantine and Saracen] empires, peace was without confidence, and war without mercy.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/338/edward-gibbon-710_byzantine_in-the-national-and-religious-conflict-o_29382.jpg)
![“[Every] hour of delay abates the fame and force of the invader, and multiplies the resources of defensive war.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4de/edward-gibbon-710_delay_every-hour-of-delay-abates-the-fame-and_94668.jpg)