《*經典英語文庫：羅馬帝國衰亡史（第一卷）》是英國歷史學家愛德華·吉本的一部巨著。《*經典英語文庫：羅馬帝國衰亡史（第一卷）》共六卷，第一卷出版于1776年，第二、三卷出版于1781年，第四、五、六卷出版于1788年。該書問世至今兩百余年，鮮有能與之比肩的同類作品。羅馬是西方人引以為傲的昔日榮光，而他們每言及羅馬，必稱《羅馬帝國衰亡史》。可見這部惶然巨著在西方的地位。
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“地上之國總是無常”
——“最經典英語文庫”第六輯之《羅馬帝國衰亡史》導讀
劉秀玉
如果說古希臘是人類文明的童年時，盛世羅馬則是人類青春時代的最好象征。羅馬的偉大與光榮不僅在于愷撒、奧古斯都、君士坦丁等一眾英雄的豐功偉績，它還誕生了維吉爾、賀拉斯、奧維德、西塞羅等眾多文學家、藝術家和政論家。羅馬的輝煌成就激發了不朽的文藝復興，乃至后來整個歐洲的主流文明。
羅馬非一日建成。羅馬原為意大利第伯河畔的一座小城，地理位置優越，資源豐富，居民成分比較復雜。從公元前8世紀建城到公元2世紀，羅馬經歷了由城邦到帝國，由帝國到衰亡的歷史進程。從一個不到15萬人的小國，成長為稱雄世界的帝國，羅馬用了1000多年的時間，卻在不到200年的時間里迅速瓦解衰落。也許，一個像羅馬這樣偉大的文明國家，其滅亡并非完全為外力摧毀，而更可能來自內部。長久以來的太平盛世慢慢侵蝕了帝國的精神與肌體，原有的活力日漸式微，不知不覺間，安逸使羅馬人對潛在的風險失去了敏感力。羅馬文明衰落之后，歐洲經歷了漫長的黑暗期，直至文藝復興再次迎來文明的曙光。“地上之國總是無常。”《羅馬帝國衰亡史》是英國歷史學家愛德華·吉本的一部巨著。全書共六卷，第一卷出版于1776年，第二、三卷出版于1781年，第四、五、六卷出版于1788年。該書問世至今兩百余年，鮮有能與之比肩的同類作品。羅馬是西方人引以為傲的昔日榮光，而他們每言及羅馬，必稱《羅馬帝國衰亡史》。可見這部皇然巨著在西方的地位。
愛德華·吉本（1737—1794）出生于英國一個資產階級大家族，其父曾就讀于劍橋大學，當選過英國議會下院議員，其母為倫敦富商之女。由于年幼體弱，加之10歲喪母，吉本的啟蒙教育并不完整。幸虧有姨母照料、輔導，他讀了許多古希臘羅馬的人物傳記，這為他打下了深厚的希臘文和拉丁文基礎。1752年，15歲的吉本進入牛津大學學習世界史。然而，吉本并不適應學校的沉悶生活。苦悶之中，他改信了天主教，為此，他不得不離開僅待了一年的牛津大學。1753年到1758年間，在父親的安排下，吉本到瑞士洛桑，師從帕維亞爾，一位博學多識的加爾文派牧師。五年里，吉本研讀哲學和自然科學著作，接受了法國啟蒙主義思想；他主攻拉丁文古典文獻，兼習希臘文作品。這段時間的學習，為他后來的事業打下了堅實基礎。也是這期間，經過學習和反思，他放棄了天主教，重新皈依新教。吉本后來將這五年稱作“幸運的流放”，可見他對這段學習生活的留戀之情。
1758年回到英國后，吉本過著富足悠閑的生活，以藏書和讀書為樂。他對政治等社會工作沒有多少熱情，矢志著書立說。最初，吉本的寫作興趣是文學，但是并不順利。1763—1765年，吉本在意大利生活了兩年，遍訪名勝古跡，尤其對羅馬古城情有獨鐘。羅馬廣場的廢墟引發他的思古幽情，撰寫一部關于這座城市衰亡史的念頭第一次迸發出來。然而，真正提筆創作，已是五年后。1770年，忙完家事、社交、國民軍訓練等事務，吉本終于可以享受自由時間，開始建構這部歷史巨著。
完成這樣一部歷時長久、內容繁雜的巨作，其困難程度可想而知。吉本絞盡腦汁，最后決定以他所鐘愛的羅馬城作為全書的基點，千頭萬緒的枝蔓都從羅馬生發出去。他打破常規的編年體敘事，以內在聯系編織起大量歷史事件，勾勒出羅馬帝國由盛而衰的各個階段。吉本首次從政府、文化、社會等視角描寫羅馬歷史，而此前的歷史著作都從宗教角度展開，也因此，該書被稱為一部“現代”的歷史著作。
《羅馬帝國衰亡史》從奧古斯都稱帝、羅馬由共和國變為帝國寫起，直到東羅馬帝國滅亡，其間1000多年的風云變幻，盡收筆下，氣勢恢宏。書中還記述了基督教和伊斯蘭教的興起，羅馬帝國周邊波斯、阿拉伯、匈牙利、俄羅斯、蒙古等國家的簡史，甚至還有漢武帝與匈奴人的戰爭以及匈奴人西遷等事件。準確的洞見，周密的布局，審慎的判斷與懷疑，這一切都使本書具有了超越時代的意義。
吉本51歲誕辰時，《羅馬帝國衰亡史》六卷本終于全部出版。二十年修史不輟，甘苦自知，對此，吉本卻深感幸福和欣慰。吉本終身未婚，一生與史為伴，幸有少數好友往來。晚年他在瑞士洛桑過著孤寂的生活。1793年，吉本回到倫敦，次年年初病逝，享年57歲。
《羅馬帝國衰亡史》的可讀性很強。所謂“良史莫不工文”。態度嚴謹的吉本在動筆之初，就考慮到行文風格的問題。他不喜歡編年體史書的枯燥乏味，也討厭演說體的華麗辭藻，因此，他采用了文學而非論文的創作形式。《羅馬帝國衰亡史》自誕生之日起，歷經二百余年傳誦不絕，除卻重要的學術價值，其引人入勝、栩栩如生的筆法不但使學者專家為之傾倒，普通讀者更是癡迷不已。
作為具有批評精神的啟蒙史學家，吉本在《羅馬帝國衰亡史》中提出了許多新思想、新觀念。他將孟德斯鳩的啟蒙歷史學發揚光大，以理性燭照當時史學的黑暗，不畏暴政和宗教權威，脫離了低俗的歷史觀。迄今，《羅馬帝國衰亡史》依然是羅馬歷史的最權威著作，吉本的史學思想也將永遠在世界史壇熠熠生輝。
Edward Gibbon (8 May 1737 - 16 January 1794) ，was an English historian. 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 organized religion.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1． The Extent of the Empire in the Age of the Antonines
CHAPTER 2． The Internal Prosperity in the Age of the Antonines
CHAPTER 3． The Constitution in the Age of the Antonines
CHAPTER 4． The Cruelty， Follies and Murder of Commodus
CHAPTER 5． Sale of the Empire to Didius Julianus
CHAPTER 6． Death of Severus， Tyranny of Caracalla， Usurpation of Marcinus
CHAPTER 7． Tyranny of Maximin， Rebellion， Civil Wars， Death of Maximin
CHAPTER 8． State of Persion and Restoration of the Monarchy
CHAPTER 9． State of Germany Until the Barbarians
HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
CHAPTER 10． Emperors Decius， Gallus， Aemilianus， Valerian and Gallienus
CHAPTER 11． Reign of Claudius， Defeat of the Goths
CHAPTER 12． Reigns of Tacitus， Probus， Carus and His Sons
CHAPTER 13． Reign of Diocletian and His Three Associates
CHAPTER 14． Six Emperors at the Same Time， Reunion of the Empire
CHAPTER 15． Progress of the Christian Religion
《最經典英語文庫：羅馬帝國衰亡史（第一卷）》：
The principal conquests of the Romans were achieved under the republic; and the emperors, for the most part, were satisfied with preserving those dominions which had been acquired by the policy of the senate, the active emulations of the consuls,and the martial enthusiasm of the people. The seven first centuries were filled with a rapid succession of triumphs; but it was reserved for Augustus to relinquish the ambitious design of subduing the whole earth, and to introduce a spirit of moderation into the public councils. Inclined to peace by his temper and situation, it was easy for him to discover that Rome,in her present exalted situation, had much less to hope than to fear from the chance of arms; and that, in the prosecution of remote wars, the undertaking became every day more difficult, the event more doubtful, and the possession more precarious, and less beneficial.The experience ofAugustus added weight to these salutary reflections, and effectually convinced him that, by the prudent vigor of his counsels, it would be easy to secure every concession which the safety or the dignity of Rome might require from the most formidable barbarians. Instead of exposing his person and his legions to the arrows of the Parthians, he obtained, by an honorable treaty, the restitution of the standards and prisoners which had been taken in the defeat of Crassus.
His generals, in the early part of his reign, attempted the reduction of Ethiopia and Arabia Felix. They marched near a thousand miles to the south of the tropic; but the heat of the climate soon repelled the invaders, and protected the un-warlike natives of those sequestered regions. The northern countries of Europe scarcely deserved the expense and labor of conquest. The forests and morasses of Germany were filled with a hardy race of barbarians, who despised life when it was separated from freedom; and though,on the first attack, they seemed to yield to the weight of the Roman power, they soon, by a signal act of despair, regained their independence, and reminded Augustus of the vicissitude of fortune. On the death of that emperor, his testament was publicly read in the senate. He bequeathed, as a valuable legacy to his successors, the advice of:confining the empire within those limits which nature seemed to have placed as its permanent bulwarks and boundaries:on the west, the Atlantic Ocean; the Rhine and Danube on the north;the Euphrates on the east; and towards the south,the sandy deserts ofArabia and Africa.
Happily for the repose of mankind, the moderate system recommended by the wisdom of Augustus,was adopted by the fears and vices of his immediate successors. Engaged in the pursuit of pleasure, or in the exercise of tyranny, the first Caesars seldom showed themselves to the anmes, or to the provinces;nor were they disposed to suffer, that those triumphs which their indolence neglected, should be usurped by the conduct and valor of their lieutenants. The military fame of a subject was considered as an insolent invasion of the Imperial prerogative; and it became the duty, as well as interest, of every Roman general,to guard the frontiers intrusted to his care, without aspiring to conquests which might have proved no less fatal to himself than to the vanquished barbarians.
The only accession which the Roman empire received, during the first century of the Christian Aera,was the province ofBritain. In this single instance, the successors of Caesar and Augustus were persuaded to follow the example of the former, rather than the precept of the latter. The proximity of its situation to the coast of Gaul seemed to invite their arms; the pleasing though doubtful intelligence of a pearl fishery,attracted their avarice; and as Britain was viewed in the light of a distinct and insulated world, the conquest scarcely formed any exception to the general system of continental measures.
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