Edward Gibbon

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Edward Gibbon (1737-1794)
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Edward Gibbon (* April 27 . Jul / 8. May  1737 greg. In Putney , Surrey , † 16th January 1794 in London ) was a British historian in the time of the Enlightenment . His main work is The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire .

Hauptwerk, basic assumptions

From 1776 to 1789 Gibbon published the six volumes of his History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire , a work totaling approximately 3,200 printed pages (in modern editions), which covers the history of the Roman, including the Byzantine Empire, from the middle of the Second Century AD up to the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453.

The main culprit for the fall of the Roman Empire is Gibbon on Christianity , decadence and the invasion of the Teutons . In the Byzantine Empire he saw a continuation and intensification of this decadence, which is why, in his opinion, it was an oriental despotism that did not deserve the name "Roman Empire". In contrast, he saw the, according to his analysis, naturally healthy young empires of medieval Northern and Western Europe.

Gibbon also had a great influence on German historiography. This is u. a. seen in the six-volume Roman story by Wilhelm Drumann . Theodor Mommsen, on the other hand, cited Gibbon only once in his “Roman History” and did not take part in the anniversary celebrations. Nevertheless, he considered the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire to be "the most important work ever written on Roman history."

Today the basic ideas of his analysis are still widespread in the western public, but historians no longer represent them in this form. With the social and economic historical factors of late antiquity , which Gibbon barely considered , a much more differentiated picture is drawn today. Gibbon had to rely almost exclusively on written sources, since scientific archeology was hardly existent in his time.

Live and act

Childhood and youth

Edward Gibbon was born into a well-to-do family in Surrey , the oldest child . As a merchant and speculator, his grandfather laid the foundation for the family fortune. Although he could be considered well-off, his father got into financial difficulties at times. The family belonged to the lower nobility. Gibbon was a sickly child. He lost several of his siblings at an early age, and his mother died in 1747. Gibbon developed into a loner early on, possibly due to a lack of caregivers. He attended Westminster School and was sent to Oxford at Magdalen College in 1752 at the age of 14 . In his autobiography he described this time in a gloomy, sometimes grotesquely exaggerated form. This portrayal may also stem from the fact that Gibbon later met harsh, hateful criticism from his former school. At college he was shaped less by teachers who experienced Gibbon as extraordinarily educated than by a vast amount of literature, which he devoured quite indiscriminately. The conventional teaching in religion and history could not appeal to Gibbon, since it was limited to the verbatim teaching of beliefs of the Anglican Church. It provoked his opposition. During this time he was particularly impressed by the works of Jacques Bénigne Bossuet . She and Jesuits from London had such a strong influence on the young student that he converted to Catholicism on June 8, 1753, which caused a scandal. As a Catholic, Gibbon had to leave Oxford. His father also disliked his son's development. So he sent him to Switzerland for further training, where he was to study under the care of the Calvinist pastor Daniel Pavilliard.

Gibbon reached Lausanne in June or July . To the satisfaction of his father, Pavilliard achieved another change of religion a year later. In the long run, however, Gibbons' intensive religious occupation developed in a completely different direction, he was no longer really at home in any Christian denomination. In Lausanne Gibbon continued his private studies in the form of extensive reading. It was here that Gibbon had more intensive contact with ancient authors for the first time. He decided to read through all the Latin classics and read among others Cicero , Xenophon , Homer and Herodotus and deepened his knowledge of the ancient languages, whereby his knowledge of Greek should not be overestimated. He was also fond of modern historical works and, above all, French literature. Gibbon developed an ever closer relationship with French culture and came into contact with French rationalism. Blaise Pascal had a particular influence with his Lettres provinciales , Abbé de la Bleteries work on the life of Julian and Pietro Giannone's history of Naples. The growing young man did not hesitate to get in touch with well-known scientists. He corresponded with Jean-Baptiste-Louis Crevier , Johann Jakob Breitinger , Johann Matthias Gesner and others. He even got to know the enlightener Voltaire personally. Gibbon began to think, speak, and write in French. In his autobiography he later stated: "I had ceased to be an Englishman".

Life as a nobleman and educational trip through Europe

In 1757 Gibbon met Suzanne Curchod . However, he had to end the engagement on the instructions of his father. Gibbon said: "I sighed as a lover, obeyed as a son." Seven years later, Curchod married Jacques Necker . In 1758 Gibbon returned to England after five years. On the way back he made a detour via Maastricht , where he visited Louis de Beaufort , who had written an important work on the Roman Republic . At home in England, the 21-year-old was free to live like an English country gentleman. But he could not develop a love for this lifestyle, which included shooting, riding and hunting throughout his life. He lived alternately in summer in Beriton and in winter in London. He mainly spent his time with further studies.

Now he wrote a literary work for the first time: his "Essai sur l'Étude de la Littérature", which he did not print until 1761. Between 1760 and 1762 Gibbon served in the Hampshire Militia, which he ended shortly before the end of the Seven Years War with the dissolution of the militia. Gibbon never took part in acts of war, but later claimed in his autobiography that his time in the militia had led to his understanding of the Roman military and discipline. During this time he had so much free time, despite rereading the Latin classics ("With the militia, he almost always had his Horace with him in his pocket and often in his hand") that he first looked intensively at which topic he was talking about wanted to write a treatise. So plans arose for a work on Charles VIII's move to Italy , for a biography of Walter Raleigh , a “History of the Liberty of the Swiss” and a history of the Republic of Florence under the Medici . Gibbon carried out extensive preparatory work on all subjects, but after careful consideration he discarded all plans.

In 1763 Gibbon made another educational trip to the continent. In the spring he was able to meet some of the most important leaders of French intellectual life in Paris, including Denis Diderot and Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert . He then stayed in Lausanne again for almost a year. He then traveled to Rome with his friend John Holroyd , later Lord Sheffield. The trip gave him the impetus for his most important work and thus shaped his further life. Gibbon was particularly impressed by the ancient surroundings, especially the contrast between great history and the ruins that were left of it. Gibbon described it as follows in his autobiography:

“It was in Rome on October 15, 1764, at dusk I was sitting thoughtfully in the church of the barefoot monks, while they were singing Vespers in the temple of Jupiter on the ruins of the Capitol, when the first thought occurred to me about decay and decline Write Rome's. My original plan was more about the decline of the city than that of the empire. "

But it was some time before Gibbon could carry out his plan. In the summer of 1765 he returned to England and continued his old life for the time being. He began to take part in the publication of the "Mémoires Littéraires de la Grande Britagne". First he worked again on the "History of the Liberty of the Swiss", but finally gave up this project in 1768 after a negative experience in a London literary society. From now on he began to work more and more on the "decline and fall of the Roman Empire". In addition, he published a small work in 1770, " Critical Observations on the Sixth Book of the Aeneid ", in which he dealt critically with the Vergil interpretation of Bishop William Warburton . He was particularly proud that the eminent German classical philologist Christian Gottlob Heyne agreed to his criticism.

Politician and historian

After Gibbon's father died in 1770, he first had to reorganize his property, especially his finances. He finally moved to London entirely. There he now devoted most of his time to working out "Decay and Fall of the Roman Empire". He also took part in eight sessions of the British Parliament between 1774/75 and 1783. Gibbon wasn't a great politician, he stayed almost completely in the background. Nevertheless, he saw his political engagement as the duty and virtue of a historian. He admired Frederick North and was a supporter of the Whig government. As a thank you for writing a “Mémoire Justificatif”, he received a benefice on the Board of Trade . Gibbon's political career ended with the fall of North. In March 1775 he became a member of the London Masonic Lodge “Lodge of Friendship No. 3 ”, which also included his friend Rowland Holt, Joseph Damer and Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch . During these years, the first three volumes of "Decline and Fall" were published: Volume 1 appeared on February 17, 1776, and volumes 2 and 3 followed on March 1, 1781. Gibbons Verleger planned carefully with 500 copies at first, but then left Print 1000 copies. But even the double quota was sold within a short time. The first volume was a "sensational success" within a short time. The examination of the book began very quickly. Gibbon was particularly pleased to receive a positive letter from David Hume . But negative criticism also arose very quickly, especially from the ranks of theologians. It culminated in the fact that the book was indexed in 1783, which ultimately had a considerable impact on the distribution.

Freed from his political duties, Gibbon moved back to Lausanne. The now quite stout man, who had developed a penchant for flashy clothing, shared a flat with his friend Jacques Georges Deyverdun . On the late evening of June 27, 1787, Gibbon finished work on the sixth volume of his work. To get the printing done, he went to England again for a year. All six volumes had been published by 1788. The last volumes appeared on his 51st birthday on May 8, 1788. The following years were marked by several blows of fate. First, his friend Deyverdun died. The French Revolution worried him very much. As an author, he was now less active. He also wrote his autobiography and “On the position on the meridional line and inquiry into the supposed circumnavigation of Africa by the Ancients”. Jacob Bernays described this study as "one of the most mature things [that has flowed from his pen]". In the spring of 1793 he returned to England to help his grieving friend Lord Sheffield after the latter had lost his wife. Sheffield herself was sick and troubled by the mood spreading from revolutionary France to Lausanne, which saw the French army advancing dangerously on Switzerland. His work was now widespread and known throughout Europe, and Gibbon received many honors until his death. Attempts to surgically repair his tormented waterfall for a long time failed. In winter his condition deteriorated massively. Gibbon, who had not been married, died on January 16, 1794.

Works / editions

  • Main work
    • The History of the Decline and the Fall of the Roman Empire , London, 1. Vol. 1776, 2. – 3. Vol. 1781, 4th - 6th Vol. 1788.
      (original edition)
    • The History of the Decline and the Fall of the Roman Empire , ed. v. John B. Bury , 7 vols., London 1896-1900.
      (Edition with comments by Bury, which, however, no longer reflect the state of research.)
    • The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire , ed. v. David Womersley, 3 vols., Penguin Verlag , New York 1994.
      (Now authoritative English edition with introduction and commentary; contained in Vol. 3 Gibbons Vindication .)
    • Decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Until the end of the empire in the west , translated by Michael Walter and Walter Kumpmann, with an introduction by Wilfried Nippel , 6 vols., Dtv, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-423-59062-9 .
      (Successful new German translation, with only the chapters up to the year 476 included. With a good introduction to the life and work of Gibbon.)
    • The victory of Islam (most recently Frankfurt am Main, Eichborn 2003, series Die Other Bibliothek , with an essay by Reinhard Schulze , ISBN 978-3-8218-4533-3 .)
  • Autobiography / letters / essays
    • Essai sur l'étude de la littérature , London 1761 (reprint of the French edition Dublin 1767 and the English edition London 1767 in a volume London 1994).
    • The Miscellaneous Works of Edward Gibbon , ed. v. John Lord Sheffield, 2 vols., London 1796 (or 5 vols., London 1814²; also in one vol., London 1837).
    • The Autobiography of Edward Gibbon , ed. and introduced v. Dero A. Saunders, New York 1961.
    • The Letters of Edward Gibbon , ed. v. Jane Elizabeth Norton, 3 vols., London / New York 1956.
  • Diaries
    • Gibbons Journal to January 28th 1763 , ed. v. David Morrice Low, London 1929.
    • Le Journal de Gibbon à Lausanne, 17 août 1763 - 19 avril 1764 , ed. v. Georges Alfred Bonnard, Lausanne 1945.
    • Miscellanea Gibboniana , Lausanne 1952.
    • Gibbon's Journey from Geneva to Rome. His journal from April 20 to October 2, 1764 , ed. v. Georges Alfred Bonnard, London 1961.

literature

  • Cord-Friedrich Berghahn and Till Kinzel : Edward Gibbon in the German-speaking area. Building blocks of a reception story. Heidelberg: Universitätsverlag Winter, 2015. ISBN 978-3-8253-6374-1 .
  • Karl Christ : From Gibbon to Rostovtzeff. Life and work of leading ancient historians of the modern age. 3. Edition. Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt 1989, ISBN 3-534-06070-9 , pp. 8-25.
  • Patricia Craddock: Edward Gibbon (1737-1794). In: Helen Damico, Joseph B. Zavadil (eds.): Medieval Scholarship. Biographical Studies on the Formation of a Disciplin, Volume 1: History (= Garland Reference Library of the Humanities ). Garland Publishing, New York 1995, ISBN 0-8240-6894-7 , pp. 47-61.
  • Wilfried Nippel : Edward Gibbon . In: Lutz Raphael (Hrsg.): Classics of the science of history. Vol. 1: From Edward Gibbon to Marc Bloch . Beck, Munich 2006, ISBN 978-3-406-54118-6 , pp. 20-37.
  • JGA Pocock : Barbarism and Religion. Volume 1: The Enlightenments of Edward Gibbon, 1737-1794. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1999

Web links

Commons : Edward Gibbon  - album with pictures, videos and audio files
Wikiquote: Edward Gibbon  - Quotes
Wikisource: Edward Gibbon  - Sources and full texts

Footnotes

  1. ^ Theodor Mommsen: Roman Imperial History. After the lecture notes by Sebastian and Paul Hensel 1882/86 ed. by Barbara and Alexander Demandt . 2nd edition, CH Beck, Munich 2005, p. 430.
  2. ^ The Autobiography of Eduard Gibbon. Edited and introduced by DA Saunders , New York 1961, pp. 65ff.
  3. ↑ “I stopped being an Englishman,” Autobiography, p. 110
  4. ↑ Autobiography, p. 37ff.
  5. ^ Translation taken from: Decay and Fall of the Roman Empire. Until the end of the empire in the west , translated from English by Michael Walter and Walter Kumpmann, with an introduction by Wilfried Nippel, Vol. 6 (Appendix), pp. 131f .; Original: “It was at Rome, at the 15th of October 1764, as I sat musing amid the ruins of the Capitol, while the barefoot friars were singing vespers in the temple of Iupiter, that the idea of ​​writing the decline and the fall of the city starts to my mind. But my original plan was circumscribed to the decay of the city rather than of the empire… ”(Autobiography, p. 154).
  6. ↑ Autobiography, p. 162
  7. ↑ Autobiography, p. 174
  8. ^ William R. Denslow, Harry S. Truman : 10,000 famous Freemasons from A to J, Part One . ISBN 1-4179-7578-4
  9. ^ So Karl Christ: Von Gibbon zu Rostovtzeff , Darmstadt 1972, p. 14
  10. ^ Edward Gibbons history , in: Gesammelte Abhandlungen , 1885
personal data
SURNAME Gibbon, Edward
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British historian
DATE OF BIRTH May 8, 1737
PLACE OF BIRTH Putney near London
DATE OF DEATH January 16, 1794
Place of death London