Between 1776-1788, Edward Gibbons published a six volume work titled The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Gibbons' work thoroughly covered a period of history spanning approximately 1,200 years. His goal in producing a historical narrative was to identify the reasons for the rise of the Roman Empire and the factors leading to its decline and fall. Gibbons not only created a document, which details how and why the Roman Empire rose and fell but he created a document which detailed exactly how a successful and powerful Empire could be subverted and destroyed. As you read Gibbon’s observations consider the state of affairs in the United States. Are there any similarities?
1) the undermining of the sanctity of the home 2) the rapid increase in divorce 3) the development of huge armaments and the neglect of the enemy within 4) the moral degeneration of the whole society - sexual perversion and homosexuality 5) the decline of religious vitality, with formalism supplanting faith and impotence replacing power. Additional reasons include: 6) political chaos and distrust of political leaders 7) a breakdown in justice 8) a failure to maintain law and order 9) an increase in taxes 10) a mass movement from the rural areas to the cities
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January 2016
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