Edward Gibbon: Life and the Making of The Decline and Fall

Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) rose from a difficult schooling to become the author of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. After formative studies in Lausanne and service in the Hampshire militia, he conceived his great work in Rome and published its volumes between 1776 and 1788. A deist with a capacious historical vision, Gibbon combined narrative flair with controversial judgments about Christianity; modern scholarship has revised many of his conclusions while acknowledging his literary and historical achievement.

Early life and education

Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) was born in Putney, Surrey. He attended Westminster School but struggled with poor health and irregular schooling. A voracious reader, he developed a lasting interest in history. In 1752 he matriculated at Magdalen College, Oxford, where a period of lively and unfocused study ended when he announced his conversion to Roman Catholicism after reading Bossuet. That declaration brought him into conflict with the university and his father sent him to Lausanne in Switzerland for more disciplined study. In Lausanne he studied the classics, political philosophy and mathematics and formed a lifelong friendship with the Swiss scholar Deyverdun.

Early writing and military service

After returning to England Gibbon published an early essay in French, Essai sur l'étude de la littérature (1761). He then spent a short period as an officer in the Hampshire militia before undertaking the traditional grand tour of Europe. While in Rome, reportedly among the ruins of the Capitol in 1764, he conceived the idea of a systematic history of Rome's decline.

The Decline and Fall and later life

Gibbon's father died in 1770, leaving him financially independent. He settled in London and in 1774 entered Parliament as MP for Liskeard. Around this period he accepted a government post that provided a comfortable income which later lapsed when administrations changed.

The first volume of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire appeared in 1776. Volumes II and III followed in 1781, and the remaining volumes (IV-VI) were published together in 1788. The work met with immediate public interest and went through multiple editions. Gibbon devoted many years to the project, combining wide reading with a clear narrative voice and a search for a "philosophy of history" that would explain the interaction of institutions, religion and character.

Reputation and themes

Gibbon remains best known for The Decline and Fall, a sweeping account of Roman history that has retained influence since the late 18th century. He wrote in a polished, sometimes ironic style and argued that political decay had multiple causes. Gibbon was a deist and skeptical of miracles; his chapters on early Christianity (notably chapters XV and XVI) are famously critical and sparked controversy. Modern scholarship has revised many of his interpretations and criticized some of his sources and judgments, but his narrative scope and literary power continue to attract readers.

Other works and legacy

Gibbon published essays, notes and memoirs and left fragments of autobiography and correspondence. Editions and translations of his works have appeared through the 19th and 20th centuries; some bibliographic details and edition histories should be checked for the latest scholarly catalogues.¹

1. Verify details and dates of Gibbon's service in the Hampshire militia (exact years and rank).
2. Confirm the nature and annual value of the government post Gibbon accepted and when it lapsed.
3. Check publication dates and bibliographic details for Gibbon's other works (Mémoires littéraires, editions, and major modern editions).