--- title: "4 Elevation Quotes By Edward Gibbon" description: "4 Elevation quotes by Edward Gibbon. Plus more from Edward Gibbon and more Elevation sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/edward-gibbon-710_active_the-aspiring-efforts-of-genius-or-virtue_606250.png" --- > [The aspiring efforts of genius, or virtue, either in active or speculative life, are measured, not so much by their real elevation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-aspiring-efforts-of-genius-or-virtue-either-in-active-or/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/edward-gibbon-710_active_the-aspiring-efforts-of-genius-or-virtue_606250.png) > [ History has scarcely deigned to notice \[Libius Severus's\] birth, his elevation, his character, or his death. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/history-has-scarcely-deigned-to-notice-libius-severus-s-birth-his/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/846/edward-gibbon-710_birth_history-has-scarcely-deigned-to-notice-l_745238.png) > [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 barbarians of Germany had felt, and still dreaded, the arms of the young Caesar; his soldiers were the companions of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-barbarians-of-germany-had-felt-and-still-dreaded-the-arms-of-the/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/edward-gibbon-710_arms_the-barbarians-of-germany-had-felt-and-s_2009694.jpg) ## 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/elevation/edward-gibbon/#itemlist", "name": "4 Elevation Quotes By Edward Gibbon", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The aspiring efforts of genius, or virtue, either in active or speculative life, are measured, not so much by their real elevation, as by the height to which they ascend above the level of their age and country; 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