![罗马帝国衰亡史（第一卷） - [英] 爱德华·吉本](https://static.book345.com/covers/s/9787807621164.jpg)
书籍介绍
那是在罗马，1764年10月15日，我坐在卡庇多神殿山的废墟上沉思，忽然传来神殿里赤脚僧的晚祷声，我的心中首度浮现出写作这座城市衰亡的想法。
——吉本
《罗马帝国衰亡史》上下纵横一千三百年，洋洋洒洒六大册，在吉本的心里，他想做的一个从理性、批判的角度去建构历史系统的人，“运用修辞的力量，只为了把历史事件间的关系环节讲清楚”。
全书涵盖三大重点：一是罗马帝国的政经军事文化与社会生活，帝国的扩张与防卫、内部元老院和皇帝的权力拔河；二是蛮族入侵与其间之重大战争；三是基督教的发展，政教之争，回教兴起和十字军东征等。
本书最重要主题之一：文治武功盛且又疆域广袤的罗马帝国究竟因何由盛而衰亡？从吉本的眼中看来，至少有以下诸因：
罗马帝国拥有纪律严明的庞大军团，但强大的军事力量也不可避免地带来了军人干政，军人不仅介入帝位继承，造成动乱，“几乎每个朝代的替换，都起于篡夺者之叛逆与谋害”。
经济和人口也是衰亡的主要原因。战争和瘟疫使得人力不足，蛮族于是大量迁入。罗马帝国既无法同化日耳曼等蛮族，当这些蛮族构成罗马帝国官兵，进而成为皇帝时，帝国已名存实亡。
经济衰退来自于水土流失和奴隶制度致使农业破产，奢侈的生活方式造成贵重金属流向东方，货币贬值。资本因重税而公有，生产力下降，无法负担帝国生活时，罗马也就随之崩溃。
《罗马帝国衰亡史》出版后传诵两百年迄今不衰，其文学光采与史学成就同样为后人称颂。
AI导读
核心看点
- 剖析罗马帝国由盛转衰的军事、经济与宗教根源
- 涵盖千年历史，展现政教博弈与蛮族入侵的宏大叙事
- 兼具史学严谨与文学修辞，启蒙时代理性批判的典范
适合谁读
- 对古罗马历史、拜占庭史及西方文明起源有浓厚兴趣者
- 具备一定历史背景知识，能接受长篇幅深度阅读的研究者
- 欣赏古典文学笔法，关注历史兴衰规律与政治哲学的读者
读前提醒
- 建议先补充古罗马及中世纪基础背景，否则阅读门槛较高
- 人物众多且译名复杂，建议配合地图或人物谱系辅助阅读
- 注意甄别版本，推荐席代岳译本，避免阅读删减版或生涩版
读者共识
- 文笔优美如史诗，但内容庞杂，非入门书，需耐心啃读
- 吉本的启蒙主义视角深刻，但部分观点受时代局限有争议
- 虽难读且易忘，但作为经典巨著，对构建历史全局观极有益
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
译者简介
席代岳 湖南省东安县人，1939年生，10岁时随父母来台，陆军军官学校毕业，后在三军大学及美国犹他州立大学进修，在军中历任连长、营长、炮兵指挥官、署长、总部参谋长等职，亦曾在炮兵学校及三军大学任教多年，对战史深有研究。
退役后投入文字工作，译笔忠实，文风流畅。译作有《西泽战记》(2001)、《鏖斗的年代──1941至1975年的美越关系》(2001)、《战争的罪行》(2002)等。
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