Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) was an English historian most famous for his influential work The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume one of which was published in 1776, with the final sixth volume coming in 1788. Gibbon's history was a bestseller, and in it, he attributes the decline of Rome to its increasing Christianization and departure from traditional civic values. Most historians today question Gibbon's omissions, inaccuracies, and bias, but the work remains important in Roman studies. In addition, Gibbon created a lasting trend to view history in the light of how it affects the present day.
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Definition
Timeline
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1737 - 1794Life of the English historian Edward Gibbon.
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27 Apr 1737Edward Gibbon is born in Putney, Surrey, England.
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1761Edward Gibbon publishes his Essay on the Study of Literature.
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1770Edward Gibbon publishes his Critical observations on the sixth book of the Aeneid.
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1776 - 1788Edward Gibbon publishes his The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
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16 Jan 1794Edward Gibbon dies in London.