Edward Gibbon
British historian whose Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, published in six volumes between 1776 and 1789, is the greatest work of historical prose in the English language. His attribution of Christianity's spread to the decline of Rome scandalized the clergy. He remains the model of the historian as literary artist.
Works
- The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman EmpireMonumental six-volume history of Rome's political, cultural, and military decline
- Memoirs of My LifeGibbon's autobiographical account of his life and intellectual development
- The Miscellaneous Works
- Essay on the Study of Literature
- Critical Observations