The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

175 hrs. 27 min.

History & Cultural Studies

Language Russian

Author Edward Gibbon

Narrators Mikhail Pozdnyakov, Natalia Litvinova, Ivan Litvinov

Narrator Mikhail Pozdnyakov

Narrator Natalia Litvinova

Narrator Ivan Litvinov

Description

Edward Gibbon (1737–1794), an English historian, whose works brilliantly combine literary style and the excitement of narration with a high scientific level of critical analysis of a wide range of sources.

“History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” covering the period from the 2nd to the 16th century of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires—“the most significant work ever written on Roman history” (Theodor Mommsen)—and today remains one of the most popular historical works.

The text is reproduced without abbreviations.
Translator: V. N. Nevedomsky.

Contents:

Volume One covers the period of Roman history from the Age of the Antonines (the 2nd century AD—“the golden age of Roman history”) to the unification of the empire by Constantine the Great (324 AD).

Running time: 22 hours 41 minutes.

Volume Two describes the conditions under which historical Christianity took shape. Under Gibbon’s pen, the figures of people whose actions still provoke very ambiguous assessments come to life: Constantine the Great and Julian—the restorer of Hellenism.

Running time: 21 hours 55 minutes.

In Volume Three the author describes the era preceding the fall of the once mighty Roman Empire, its outstanding political, state, and religious figures, and covers the period from 362 AD to 450 AD.

Running time: 25 hours 23 minutes.

In Volume Four Gibbon examines the invasion of barbarians into the Roman Empire and sets out his views on the causes of the Empire’s fall.
The material of this volume covers the birth of European states and the rise of the Eastern Roman Empire (450 AD–594 AD).

Running time: 25 hours 10 minutes.

In Volume Five Gibbon discusses the reign of Justinian and the codification of Roman law, the development of Christian dogma and the struggle against heresies, the appearance of Muhammad and the beginning of Islam.
The material in this volume covers the epoch of the highest flourishing in the history of European countries and the Mediterranean basin in the 6th–8th centuries (303 AD–680 AD).

Running time: 26 hours 28 minutes.

In Volume Six Gibbon considers events and historical trends that determined the further development of international relations and the internal history of European states for the period 632 AD–1203 AD: Arab conquests, the Crusades, and Norman raids across Southern Europe.
Special attention is paid to the history of the Slavs and Rus’.

Running time: 28 hours 05 minutes.

The last (seventh) volume of the historical epic by E. Gibbon is devoted to the final stage of the history of the Byzantine Empire, which ended with the fall of Constantinople and the conquest of part of Europe by Turkish invaders.
Reflecting on the history of Byzantium and Rome, the author presents a broad picture of tragic events of that time—the end of the Crusades, the Tatar-Mongol invasion into the lands of Eastern Europe, Timur’s campaigns, and civil strife in Italy—which marked the end of the existence of a once formidable and great state.

Running time: 25 hours 35 minutes.