Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Penguin do a very good single volume abridged version of it here.
As you say, it's a book everyone should read, but, on the other hand, many of Gibbons' ideas have been discredited by modern historians. The Penguin abridgement is very well done, and gives a good overview of what the whole thing is about. |
You definitely have to take Gibbons with a grain of salt. He let his personal prejudices and bias color his writing. He was particularly harsh on Gallienus, because he blamed him for the persecution of Christians put in place by his father Valerian. Gallienus was not a horrid emperor as put forth by Gibbons, but actually did quite well given the poor timing of his reign. Despite having to deal with plague and near-constant attacks from the barbarians he reigned and held the empire mainly together for 18 years.
-Marcy