《*经典英语文库：罗马帝国衰亡史（第一卷）》是英国历史学家爱德华·吉本的一部巨著。《*经典英语文库：罗马帝国衰亡史（第一卷）》共六卷，第一卷出版于1776年，第二、三卷出版于1781年，第四、五、六卷出版于1788年。该书问世至今两百余年，鲜有能与之比肩的同类作品。罗马是西方人引以为傲的昔日荣光，而他们每言及罗马，必称《罗马帝国衰亡史》。可见这部惶然巨著在西方的地位。

“*经典英语文库”自2013年8月上市至今，整套图书已出版六辑共90部作品。图书选本方面，皆来自世界经典名著，涉及政治、艺术、人文、诗歌、小说等各个领域，原文呈现名著原貌，满足不同读者的阅读需求，《了不起的盖茨比》《哈姆雷特》等经典读本更是为广大读者所追捧。图书设计上，完全遵循国外名著图书的经典流行开本规范，掌中书的大小便携、易读；封面设计、正文版式、印刷材质等方面更是精益求精，力求将*经典、*纯粹的外国文学带给广大的中国读者，更新大家的英文图书阅读习惯。

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　　“地上之国总是无常”
　　——“最经典英语文库”第六辑之《罗马帝国衰亡史》导读
　　刘秀玉
　　如果说古希腊是人类文明的童年时，盛世罗马则是人类青春时代的最好象征。罗马的伟大与光荣不仅在于恺撒、奥古斯都、君士坦丁等一众英雄的丰功伟绩，它还诞生了维吉尔、贺拉斯、奥维德、西塞罗等众多文学家、艺术家和政论家。罗马的辉煌成就激发了不朽的文艺复兴，乃至后来整个欧洲的主流文明。
　　罗马非一日建成。罗马原为意大利第伯河畔的一座小城，地理位置优越，资源丰富，居民成分比较复杂。从公元前8世纪建城到公元2世纪，罗马经历了由城邦到帝国，由帝国到衰亡的历史进程。从一个不到15万人的小国，成长为称雄世界的帝国，罗马用了1000多年的时间，却在不到200年的时间里迅速瓦解衰落。也许，一个像罗马这样伟大的文明国家，其灭亡并非完全为外力摧毁，而更可能来自内部。长久以来的太平盛世慢慢侵蚀了帝国的精神与肌体，原有的活力日渐式微，不知不觉间，安逸使罗马人对潜在的风险失去了敏感力。罗马文明衰落之后，欧洲经历了漫长的黑暗期，直至文艺复兴再次迎来文明的曙光。“地上之国总是无常。”《罗马帝国衰亡史》是英国历史学家爱德华·吉本的一部巨著。全书共六卷，第一卷出版于1776年，第二、三卷出版于1781年，第四、五、六卷出版于1788年。该书问世至今两百余年，鲜有能与之比肩的同类作品。罗马是西方人引以为傲的昔日荣光，而他们每言及罗马，必称《罗马帝国衰亡史》。可见这部皇然巨著在西方的地位。
　　爱德华·吉本（1737—1794）出生于英国一个资产阶级大家族，其父曾就读于剑桥大学，当选过英国议会下院议员，其母为伦敦富商之女。由于年幼体弱，加之10岁丧母，吉本的启蒙教育并不完整。幸亏有姨母照料、辅导，他读了许多古希腊罗马的人物传记，这为他打下了深厚的希腊文和拉丁文基础。1752年，15岁的吉本进入牛津大学学习世界史。然而，吉本并不适应学校的沉闷生活。苦闷之中，他改信了天主教，为此，他不得不离开仅待了一年的牛津大学。1753年到1758年间，在父亲的安排下，吉本到瑞士洛桑，师从帕维亚尔，一位博学多识的加尔文派牧师。五年里，吉本研读哲学和自然科学著作，接受了法国启蒙主义思想；他主攻拉丁文古典文献，兼习希腊文作品。这段时间的学习，为他后来的事业打下了坚实基础。也是这期间，经过学习和反思，他放弃了天主教，重新皈依新教。吉本后来将这五年称作“幸运的流放”，可见他对这段学习生活的留恋之情。
　　1758年回到英国后，吉本过着富足悠闲的生活，以藏书和读书为乐。他对政治等社会工作没有多少热情，矢志著书立说。最初，吉本的写作兴趣是文学，但是并不顺利。1763—1765年，吉本在意大利生活了两年，遍访名胜古迹，尤其对罗马古城情有独钟。罗马广场的废墟引发他的思古幽情，撰写一部关于这座城市衰亡史的念头第一次迸发出来。然而，真正提笔创作，已是五年后。1770年，忙完家事、社交、国民军训练等事务，吉本终于可以享受自由时间，开始建构这部历史巨著。
　　完成这样一部历时长久、内容繁杂的巨作，其困难程度可想而知。吉本绞尽脑汁，最后决定以他所钟爱的罗马城作为全书的基点，千头万绪的枝蔓都从罗马生发出去。他打破常规的编年体叙事，以内在联系编织起大量历史事件，勾勒出罗马帝国由盛而衰的各个阶段。吉本首次从政府、文化、社会等视角描写罗马历史，而此前的历史著作都从宗教角度展开，也因此，该书被称为一部“现代”的历史著作。
　　《罗马帝国衰亡史》从奥古斯都称帝、罗马由共和国变为帝国写起，直到东罗马帝国灭亡，其间1000多年的风云变幻，尽收笔下，气势恢宏。书中还记述了基督教和伊斯兰教的兴起，罗马帝国周边波斯、阿拉伯、匈牙利、俄罗斯、蒙古等国家的简史，甚至还有汉武帝与匈奴人的战争以及匈奴人西迁等事件。准确的洞见，周密的布局，审慎的判断与怀疑，这一切都使本书具有了超越时代的意义。
　　吉本51岁诞辰时，《罗马帝国衰亡史》六卷本终于全部出版。二十年修史不辍，甘苦自知，对此，吉本却深感幸福和欣慰。吉本终身未婚，一生与史为伴，幸有少数好友往来。晚年他在瑞士洛桑过着孤寂的生活。1793年，吉本回到伦敦，次年年初病逝，享年57岁。
　　《罗马帝国衰亡史》的可读性很强。所谓“良史莫不工文”。态度严谨的吉本在动笔之初，就考虑到行文风格的问题。他不喜欢编年体史书的枯燥乏味，也讨厌演说体的华丽辞藻，因此，他采用了文学而非论文的创作形式。《罗马帝国衰亡史》自诞生之日起，历经二百余年传诵不绝，除却重要的学术价值，其引人入胜、栩栩如生的笔法不但使学者专家为之倾倒，普通读者更是痴迷不已。
　　作为具有批评精神的启蒙史学家，吉本在《罗马帝国衰亡史》中提出了许多新思想、新观念。他将孟德斯鸠的启蒙历史学发扬光大，以理性烛照当时史学的黑暗，不畏暴政和宗教权威，脱离了低俗的历史观。迄今，《罗马帝国衰亡史》依然是罗马历史的最权威著作，吉本的史学思想也将永远在世界史坛熠熠生辉。

　　Edward Gibbon (8 May 1737 - 16 January 1794) ，was an English historian. His most important work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788 and is known for the quality and irony of its prose, its use of primary sources, and its open criticism of organized religion.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1． The Extent of the Empire in the Age of the Antonines
CHAPTER 2． The Internal Prosperity in the Age of the Antonines
CHAPTER 3． The Constitution in the Age of the Antonines
CHAPTER 4． The Cruelty， Follies and Murder of Commodus
CHAPTER 5． Sale of the Empire to Didius Julianus
CHAPTER 6． Death of Severus， Tyranny of Caracalla， Usurpation of Marcinus
CHAPTER 7． Tyranny of Maximin， Rebellion， Civil Wars， Death of Maximin
CHAPTER 8． State of Persion and Restoration of the Monarchy
CHAPTER 9． State of Germany Until the Barbarians
HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
CHAPTER 10． Emperors Decius， Gallus， Aemilianus， Valerian and Gallienus
CHAPTER 11． Reign of Claudius， Defeat of the Goths
CHAPTER 12． Reigns of Tacitus， Probus， Carus and His Sons
CHAPTER 13． Reign of Diocletian and His Three Associates
CHAPTER 14． Six Emperors at the Same Time， Reunion of the Empire
CHAPTER 15． Progress of the Christian Religion

　　《最经典英语文库：罗马帝国衰亡史（第一卷）》：
　　The principal conquests of the Romans were achieved under the republic; and the emperors, for the most part, were satisfied with preserving those dominions which had been acquired by the policy of the senate, the active emulations of the consuls,and the martial enthusiasm of the people. The seven first centuries were filled with a rapid succession of triumphs; but it was reserved for Augustus to relinquish the ambitious design of subduing the whole earth, and to introduce a spirit of moderation into the public councils. Inclined to peace by his temper and situation, it was easy for him to discover that Rome,in her present exalted situation, had much less to hope than to fear from the chance of arms; and that, in the prosecution of remote wars, the undertaking became every day more difficult, the event more doubtful, and the possession more precarious, and less beneficial.The experience ofAugustus added weight to these salutary reflections, and effectually convinced him that, by the prudent vigor of his counsels, it would be easy to secure every concession which the safety or the dignity of Rome might require from the most formidable barbarians. Instead of exposing his person and his legions to the arrows of the Parthians, he obtained, by an honorable treaty, the restitution of the standards and prisoners which had been taken in the defeat of Crassus.
　　His generals, in the early part of his reign, attempted the reduction of Ethiopia and Arabia Felix. They marched near a thousand miles to the south of the tropic; but the heat of the climate soon repelled the invaders, and protected the un-warlike natives of those sequestered regions. The northern countries of Europe scarcely deserved the expense and labor of conquest. The forests and morasses of Germany were filled with a hardy race of barbarians, who despised life when it was separated from freedom; and though,on the first attack, they seemed to yield to the weight of the Roman power, they soon, by a signal act of despair, regained their independence, and reminded Augustus of the vicissitude of fortune. On the death of that emperor, his testament was publicly read in the senate. He bequeathed, as a valuable legacy to his successors, the advice of:confining the empire within those limits which nature seemed to have placed as its permanent bulwarks and boundaries:on the west, the Atlantic Ocean; the Rhine and Danube on the north;the Euphrates on the east; and towards the south,the sandy deserts ofArabia and Africa.
　　Happily for the repose of mankind, the moderate system recommended by the wisdom of Augustus,was adopted by the fears and vices of his immediate successors. Engaged in the pursuit of pleasure, or in the exercise of tyranny, the first Caesars seldom showed themselves to the anmes, or to the provinces;nor were they disposed to suffer, that those triumphs which their indolence neglected, should be usurped by the conduct and valor of their lieutenants. The military fame of a subject was considered as an insolent invasion of the Imperial prerogative; and it became the duty, as well as interest, of every Roman general,to guard the frontiers intrusted to his care, without aspiring to conquests which might have proved no less fatal to himself than to the vanquished barbarians.
　　The only accession which the Roman empire received, during the first century of the Christian Aera,was the province ofBritain. In this single instance, the successors of Caesar and Augustus were persuaded to follow the example of the former, rather than the precept of the latter. The proximity of its situation to the coast of Gaul seemed to invite their arms; the pleasing though doubtful intelligence of a pearl fishery,attracted their avarice; and as Britain was viewed in the light of a distinct and insulated world, the conquest scarcely formed any exception to the general system of continental measures.
　　……