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In the second century of the Christian era, the empire of Rome comprehended the fairest part of the earth, and the most civilised portion of mankind.

— Edward Gibbon The History of the Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire (1776)

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Source and credibility

Wikiquote does not flag this quote as disputed or misattributed.

Source: First sentence of chapter one.
Work: The History of the Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire, 1776
Source quality: Source identified Names the work or year, but without an exact location.

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Our sympathy is cold to the relation of distant misery.

The History of the Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire (1776)

I was never less alone than when by myself.

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Revenge is profitable, gratitude is expensive.

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The true interest of an absolute monarch generally coincides with that of his people.

The History of the Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire (1776)

In every deed of mischief he had a heart to resolve, a head to contrive, and a hand to execute.

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A people elated by pride, or soured by discontent, is seldom qualified to form a just estimate of their actual situation.

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In every age the Persians have been addicted to intemperance, and the wines of Shiraz have triumphed over the law of Mahomet.

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A weak prince will always be governed by his domestics.

The History of the Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire (1776)

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Topics

Christianity

More quotes by Edward Gibbon

There exists in human nature a strong propensity to depreciate the advantages, and to magnify the evils, of the present times.

The winds and waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.

The History of the Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire (1776)

In a distant age and climate the tragic scene of the death of Hussyn will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader.

The History of the Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire (1776)

The principles of a free constitution are irrecoverably lost, when the legislative power is nominated by the executive.

The History of the Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire (1776)

Vicissitudes of fortune, which spares neither man nor the proudest of his works, which buries empires and cities in a common grave.

The History of the Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire (1776)

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Edward Gibbon (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.