书籍介绍
《罗马帝国衰亡史》以堂皇宏阔的篇幅,叙述了罗马帝国从公元2世纪安东尼时代的赫赫盛极,到l453年君士坦丁熙陷落时黯然谢幕的l300多年的历史风貌。作者
在近400万的洋洋文字中,既发怀古之幽思,悲怆叹惋千年帝国的无奈衰颓乃至烟灭;又阐思辨之深彻,诠释剖析盛衰兴替的永恒历史命题。
《罗马帝国衰亡史》出版后传诵两百年迄今不衰,其文学光彩与史学成就同样为后人称颂。
AI导读
核心看点
- 全景叙述罗马从盛极到衰亡的十三世纪历史
- 剖析专制体制对共和精神的摧毁与帝国衰颓
- 兼具文学光彩与史学成就,传诵两百年不衰
适合谁读
- 对古罗马历史及世界史有浓厚兴趣的读者
- 希望深入理解帝国兴衰规律的历史爱好者
- 能接受典雅译风并具备一定耐心的深度读者
读前提醒
- 全书篇幅宏大,建议做好长期阅读的心理准备
- 译笔典雅但略显晦涩,部分段落阅读难度较大
- 注意区分原著观点与译者注释,保持批判思维
读者共识
- 公认西方史学巨著,无论何时重读皆有启发
- 席代岳译本辞藻华丽,但部分读者觉其艰涩
- 装帧排版备受争议,书脊处文字难以完整阅读
本导读基于书籍简介、目录、原文摘录、短评和书评生成,不等同于全文精读。
精彩摘录
- "。。。专制体制刻意摧毁共和精神,使人民变成政治侏儒,一群政治侏儒如何能支撑一个伟大的帝国。"
- "WHENEVER Tacitus indulges himself in those beautiful episodes, in which he relates some domestic transaction of the Germans or of the Parthians, his principal object is to relieve the attention of the reader from a uniform scene of vice and misery. From the reign of Augustus to the time of Alexander"
- "Artaxerxes had served with great reputation in the armies of Artaban, the last king of the Parthians, and it appears that he was driven into exile and rebellion by royal ingratitude, the customary reward for superior merit. His birth was obscure, and the obscurity equally gave room to the aspersions"
- "One of these, Erdaviraph, a young but holy prelate, received from the hands of his brethren three cups of soporiferous wine. He drank them off, and instantly fell into a long and profound sleep. As soon as he waked, he related to the king and to the believing multitude his journey to Heaven, and his"
- "Every mode of religion, to make a deep and lasting impression on the human mind, must exercise our obedience, by enjoining practices of devotion; and must acquire our esteem, by inculcating moral duties analogous to the dictates of our own hearts. The religion of Zoroaster was abundantly provided wi"
- "But there are some remarkable instances, in which Zoroaster lays aside the prophet, assumes the legislator, and discovers a liberal concern for private and public happiness, seldom to be found among the grovelling or visionary schemes of superstition. Fasting and celibacy, the common means of purcha"
- "Had Zoroaster, in all his institutions, invariably supported this exalted character, his name would deserve a place with those of Numa and Confucius, and his system would be justly entitled to all the applause which it has pleased some of our divines, and even some of our philosophers, to bestow on "
- "Such are the circumstances of. this ostentatious and improbable relation, dictated, as it too plainly appears, by the vanity of the monarch, adorned by the unblushing servility of his flatterers, and received without contradiction by a distant and obsequious senate. Far from being inclined to believ"
作者简介
爱德华·吉本(Edward Gibbon 1737年5月8日 - 1794年1月16日) 是英国著名历史学家,《罗马帝国衰亡史》的作者。
吉本出生于伦敦附近的普特尼,父亲是国会议员,他是家中独子。1763年,他前往欧洲大陆旅游,在巴黎结识了狄德罗,也去了罗马,1764年他在罗马废墟上,开始有写作罗马帝国史的念头。1772年,他开始写作《罗马帝国衰亡史》。1776年,第一卷出版。取得了巨大的成功,其受欢迎程度用洛阳纸贵形容不为过,他的书出现每张桌子上,乃至于上流社会仕女的妆台。吉本也一夜成名,受到英国艺文界的追捧。1788年,他完成了《罗马帝国衰亡史》的全部书稿,盛誉满天下。1794年,他在伦敦去世。