--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the empire had been afflicted by any…" description: "\"“If the empire had been afflicted by any recent calamity, by a plague, a famine, or an unsuccessful war; if the Tiber had, or if the Nile had not, rise..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/edward-gibbon-710_christianity_if-the-empire-had-been-afflicted-by-any_873299.jpg" --- # If the empire had been afflicted by any recent calamity… ![“If the empire had been afflicted by any recent calamity, by a plague, a famine, or an unsuccessful war; if the Tiber had, or if the Nile had not, risen beyond its banks; if the earth had shaken, or if the temperate order of the seasons had been interrupted, the superstitious Pagans were convinced…” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/edward-gibbon-710_christianity_if-the-empire-had-been-afflicted-by-any_873299.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/edward-gibbon-710_christianity_if-the-empire-had-been-afflicted-by-any_873299.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/edward-gibbon-710_christianity_if-the-empire-had-been-afflicted-by-any_873299.jpg) > ““If the empire had been afflicted by any recent calamity, by a plague, a famine, or an unsuccessful war; if the Tiber had, or if the Nile had not, risen beyond its banks; if the earth had shaken, or if the temperate order of the seasons had been interrupted, the superstitious Pagans were convinced that the crimes and the impiety of the Christians, who were spared by the excessive lenity of the government, had at length provoked the divine justice.”” [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Belief that misfortunes are divine punishment for Christians’ perceived impiety. **In simple terms:** Disasters seen as punishment for Christians. Key Takeaway Recognize how scapegoating shapes narratives. Themes religion history scapegoating politics justice Mood reflective critical Type historical analytical When to use this quote - Historical analysis - modern religious conflict - media criticism - policy making Key Concepts Divine retribution social blame political propaganda Questions to Reflect On - How do societies assign blame during crises? - What alternatives exist to scapegoating? A Different Perspective Such interpretations can ignore natural causes and complex politics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Divine justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-justice/) [Irony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irony/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [If God has laid your sins upon the Son of His love, you may rest assured that He will never lay them a second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavius-winslow/if-god-has-laid-your-sins-upon-the-son-of-his-love-you-may-rest/) [Octavius Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavius-winslow/) > [The finite is annihilated in the presence of the infinite, and becomes a pure nothing. 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