--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The light of reason and civilization was…" description: "\"“The light of reason and civilization was virtually snuffed out by the Barbarian hordes who swarmed across Europe, annihilating everything the Romans h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/terry-jones-16451_dark-ages_the-light-of-reason-and-civilization-was_915066.jpg" --- # The light of reason and civilization was virtually snuffed… ![“The light of reason and civilization was virtually snuffed out by the Barbarian hordes who swarmed across Europe, annihilating everything the Romans had put in place, sacking Rome itself and consigning Europe to the Dark Ages. The Barbarians brought only chaos and ignorance, until the Renaissance…” quote by Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/terry-jones-16451_dark-ages_the-light-of-reason-and-civilization-was_915066.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/terry-jones-16451_dark-ages_the-light-of-reason-and-civilization-was_915066.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/terry-jones-16451_dark-ages_the-light-of-reason-and-civilization-was_915066.jpg) > ““The light of reason and civilization was virtually snuffed out by the Barbarian hordes who swarmed across Europe, annihilating everything the Romans had put in place, sacking Rome itself and consigning Europe to the Dark Ages. The Barbarians brought only chaos and ignorance, until the Renaissance rekindled the fires of Roman learning and art. It's a familiar story, but it's codswallop.”” [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The fall of Roman civilization is often blamed on barbarian invasions, but this view oversimplifies complex historical dynamics. **In simple terms:** Barbarian invasions didn’t solely cause the Dark Ages. Key Takeaway Recognize nuanced causes of historical change. Themes history civilization myths Mood critical analytical Type historical commentary When to use this quote - education - historical analysis - media narratives - public discourse - null Key Concepts simplification complexity cultural exchange Questions to Reflect On - What other forces shaped post‑Roman Europe? - How does myth‑making affect our view of history? A Different Perspective Attributing decline to a single cause ignores many contributing factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ages Barbarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ages-barbarians-1371270/) [Barbarian Hordes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarian-hordes-1371271/) [Barbarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/) [Barbarians Brought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians-brought-1371269/) [Dark ages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-ages/) [Ignorance Renaissance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance-renaissance-1371272/) [Romans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romans/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [How highly should we honor the Macedonians, who for the greater part of their lives never cease from fighting with the barbarians for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polybius/how-highly-should-we-honor-the-macedonians-who-for-the-greater-part/) [Polybius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polybius/) > [But in almost every province of the Roman world, an army of fanatics, without authority and without discipline, invaded the peaceful inhabitants; and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/but-in-almost-every-province-of-the-roman-world-an-army-of-fanatics/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [The union of the Roman empire was dissolved; its genius was humbled in the dust; and armies of unknown barbarians, issuing from the frozen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-union-of-the-roman-empire-was-dissolved-its-genius-was-humbled-in/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [ “To the Greeks \[the Macedonians\] were uncouth, semi-civilized barbarians. The Macedonians for their part despised the Greeks as effete, wishy-washy Greeklings. Both regarded the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sekunda/to-the-greeks-the-macedonians-were-uncouth-semi-civilized-barbarians/) [Nicholas Sekunda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sekunda/) > [In less than a century after the barbarian nations settled in their new conquests, almost all the effects of the knowledge and civility, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-ward-perkins/in-less-than-a-century-after-the-barbarian-nations-settled-in-their/) [Bryan Ward-Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-ward-perkins/) > [“Romans! They think women and children are fit sacrifices in war and anything less than crucifixion smacks of leniency. And they call us barbarians.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manda-scott/romans-they-think-women-and-children-are-fit-sacrifices-in-war-and/) [Manda Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manda-scott/) > [“Here we come to a semantic difficulty. Other peoples who were of considerable civilization had been referred to as barbarians for more than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/here-we-come-to-a-semantic-difficulty-other-peoples-who-were-of/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“With that kill, the watching crowd realized this wasn’t just a show designed to inflate auction prices, and they howled for more blood. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-livingston/with-that-kill-the-watching-crowd-realized-this-wasn-t-just-a-show/) [Lesley Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-livingston/) > [If you were an ancient barbarian, I bet a real embarrassing thing would be if you were sacking Rome and your cape got caught…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/if-you-were-an-ancient-barbarian-i-bet-a-real-embarrassing-thing/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“The whole of Hellas used once to carry arms, their habitations being unprotected and their communication with each other unsafe; indeed, to wear arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/the-whole-of-hellas-used-once-to-carry-arms-their-habitations-being/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Discussing the attempts of Augustus' generals to add to the extent of the Roman Empire early in his reign: The northern countries of Europe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/discussing-the-attempts-of-augustus-generals-to-add-to-the-extent-of/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Everyone aimed at security: no one accepted responsibility. What was plainly lacking, long before the barbarian invasions had done their work, long before economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/everyone-aimed-at-security-no-one-accepted-responsibility-what-was/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [“There is the familiar figure of Orosius, defending the barbarians with the argument that when the Roman empire was founded it was founded in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-power/there-is-the-familiar-figure-of-orosius-defending-the-barbarians-with/) [Eileen Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-power/) > [ “O \[Roman\] people be ashamed; be ashamed of your lives. Almost no cities are free of evil dens, are altogether free of impurities, except… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-federer/o-roman-people-be-ashamed-be-ashamed-of-your-lives-almost-no-cities/) [William J Federer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-federer/) ## More by Terry Jones > [We will definitely not burn the Koran, no. Not today, not ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/we-will-definitely-not-burn-the-koran-no-not-today-not-ever/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) > [Saying We will destroy terrorism is about as meaningful as saying: We shall annihilate mockery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/saying-we-will-destroy-terrorism-is-about-as-meaningful-as-saying-we/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) > [We are, of course, now against any other group burning Qurans. We would right now ask no one to burn Qurans. We are absolutely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/we-are-of-course-now-against-any-other-group-burning-qurans-we-would/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) > [I can direct things but I can't write. My memory is going, so I struggle for words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/i-can-direct-things-but-i-can-t-write-my-memory-is-going-so-i/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) > [Pinterest may have more travel intent data than any other site, so many people are pinning where they want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/pinterest-may-have-more-travel-intent-data-than-any-other-site-so/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) > [We think of medieval England as being a place of unbelievable cruelty and darkness and superstition. We think of it as all being about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/we-think-of-medieval-england-as-being-a-place-of-unbelievable-cruelty/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) > [I've got a soft spot for Theatr Colwyn because my granddad used to run the Colwyn amateur dramatic society in the 1930s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/i-ve-got-a-soft-spot-for-theatr-colwyn-because-my-granddad-used-to/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) > [No matter how much I struggle through life, I have my head up and positive attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/no-matter-how-much-i-struggle-through-life-i-have-my-head-up-and/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) > [I'm a good cook; one of my specialities is reindeer and potato pie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/i-m-a-good-cook-one-of-my-specialities-is-reindeer-and-potato-pie/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) > [I'd always thought that if Python was going to go on at all, it'd be nice to get into storylines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/i-d-always-thought-that-if-python-was-going-to-go-on-at-all-it-d-be/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) > [You know, I've never thought of myself as a comedian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/you-know-i-ve-never-thought-of-myself-as-a-comedian/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) > [“A newt?" "I got better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/a-newt-i-got-better/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) > [I don't think you need religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/i-don-t-think-you-need-religion/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) > [ The Romans did not see \[the tale of Romulus, Remus and the she-wolf\] as a charming story; they meant to show that they had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/the-romans-did-not-see-the-tale-of-romulus-remus-and-the-she-wolf-as/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) > [It doesn't worry me what anyone says, except when publicity hurts others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/it-doesn-t-worry-me-what-anyone-says-except-when-publicity-hurts/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) [Explore all 40 Terry Jones quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) ## More Barbarians quotes > [School curricula that ignore the arts produce highly educated Barbarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/school-curricula-that-ignore-the-arts-produce-highly-educated/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [One simply cannot engage in barbarous action without becoming a barbarian, because one cannot defend human values by calculated and unprovoked violence without doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/one-simply-cannot-engage-in-barbarous-action-without-becoming-a/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [Fain would we remain barbarians, if our claim to civilization were to be based on the gruesome glory of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fain-would-we-remain-barbarians-if-our-claim-to-civilization-were-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The idea that war should be conducted within a moral framework may seem like a quaint medieval practice, but as speech separates humans from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-idea-that-war-should-be-conducted-within-a-moral-framework-may/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Is Islam a religion of peace? I'm sure for some of the practitioners, but it's been hijacked by people who have an ideology that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/is-islam-a-religion-of-peace-i-m-sure-for-some-of-the-practitioners/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [If you go back to the Conan the Barbarian series, I really liked that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/if-you-go-back-to-the-conan-the-barbarian-series-i-really-liked-that/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [America's critics can be heard everywhere. It is too much in love with money - worshipping the god of the marketplace, the golden calf.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-saatchi/america-s-critics-can-be-heard-everywhere-it-is-too-much-in-love-with/) [Maurice Saatchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-saatchi/) > [I believe that every single human being is entitled to the protection of our laws, whether they can vote or not. Whether they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-believe-that-every-single-human-being-is-entitled-to-the-protection/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The waiter brought fresh-baked bread and cheese, a bottle of sparkling water for Annabeth, and a Coke with ice for me (because I’m a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/the-waiter-brought-fresh-baked-bread-and-cheese-a-bottle-of-sparkling/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Why is she afraid?" he asked. "She's not Anjin-san. Just a little nervous. Please excuse her. She's never seen a foreigner close to before."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/why-is-she-afraid-he-asked-she-s-not-anjin-san-just-a-little-nervous/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [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/) > [The Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilization…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/the-islamic-conquest-of-india-is-probably-the-bloodiest-story-in/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [In this metallic age of barbarians, only a relentless cultivation of our ability to dream, to analyse and to captivate can prevent our personality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/in-this-metallic-age-of-barbarians-only-a-relentless-cultivation-of/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [The member of a culture ... purposely avoids the relationship of intimacy; he wants the object somehow depicted and fictionalized. ... He is embarrassed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/the-member-of-a-culture-purposely-avoids-the-relationship-of-intimacy/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [“Politics is the moat, the walls, beyond which lie the barbarians. Fail to keep them at bay, and everything burns.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/politics-is-the-moat-the-walls-beyond-which-lie-the-barbarians-fail/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) [Browse all 280 Barbarians quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The light of reason and civilization was virtually snuffed out by the Barbarian hordes who swarmed across Europe, annihilating everything the Romans had put in place, sacking Rome itself and consigning Europe to the Dark Ages. The Barbarians brought only chaos and ignorance, until the Renaissance rekindled the fires of Roman learning and art. It's a familiar story, but it's codswallop.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terry Jones" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/the-light-of-reason-and-civilization-was-virtually-snuffed-out-by-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Barbarians" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/the-light-of-reason-and-civilization-was-virtually-snuffed-out-by-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/terry-jones-16451_dark-ages_the-light-of-reason-and-civilization-was_915066.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/terry-jones-16451_dark-ages_the-light-of-reason-and-civilization-was_915066.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/terry-jones-16451_dark-ages_the-light-of-reason-and-civilization-was_915066.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The light of reason and civilization was virtually snuffed out by the Barbarian hordes who swarmed across…” — Terry Jones", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Terry Jones", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The light of reason and civilization...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/the-light-of-reason-and-civilization-was-virtually-snuffed-out-by-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/the-light-of-reason-and-civilization-was-virtually-snuffed-out-by-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```