The Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire – Part 2

Written by Edward Gibbon

Narrated by Philip Madoc and Neville Jason

Edward Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire occupies an immortal place in the pantheon of historical masterpieces. This six-disc recording covers the final three volumes of Gibbon’s work, tracing ten centuries in the life of the eastern half of the empire, whose capital city was Constantinople. Among the many figures who stride across Gibbon’s stage here are the emperor Justinian I, a noble statesman and successful warrior, brought low by his lascivious wife, the former prostitute Theodora; the murdering Basil I, a peasant who nonetheless proved himself a worthy figure upon which to drape the purple; and the final emperor of all, Constantine XI, who died on the battlements of Constantinople in 1453, valiantly fighting a losing battle to prevent the Turks from gaining a city they had craved for centuries. It is still the work that sets the standard for all histories of the period.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks
• Release date: May 28, 1997
• ISBN: 9789629547158

Edward Gibbon

Edward Gibbon; (8 May – 16 January 1794) was an English historian, writer and Member of Parliament. His most important work, "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788 and is known for the quality and irony of its prose, its use of primary sources, and its open criticism of organised religion. (Wikipedia)

Reviews for The Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire – Part 2

[andyray_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The rise of the Christian churc h takes up one-third of this volume, with Constantine's conversion and the resulting Council of Nicea formulizing the "Holy Roman" Catholic Church in 325 A.D. Although his reports on the theology of the church is minimal, Gibbons does flatly state that this is where the exact pronouncement of the Christ being the son of God and rising from the dead takes place -- almost 300 years AFTER the fact.

[Paul Lyons · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a great way to imbibe history! The selection and presentation of the narrative is excellent, and once again, as in part one, the reader is superb--fluent and resonant and allowing Gibbon's prose to shine through.