Who was the historian Edward Gibbon?

Edward Gibbon was an English essayist, historian, and politician who lived from 1737 to 1794. He achieved critical and commercial success with his masterwork, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, published across six volumes between 1776 and 1789. His life and literary legacy were further cemented by his autobiographical writings, compiled posthumously as Memoirs of My Life and Writings.

What we know

• Edward Gibbon was born on May 8, 1737, and died on January 16, 1794. [2]
• His most important work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1789. [2]
• Gibbon's historical masterpiece is known for its prose quality, use of primary sources, irony, and polemical criticism of organised religion. [2]
• His autobiographical accounts were compiled after his death by his friend Lord Sheffield and published as Memoirs of My Life and Writings in 1796. [5]

Still open

• While Lord Sheffield's editing of Gibbon's memoirs has been praised for its ingenuity and taste, it has also been blamed for being unscholarly and aggressive.

Where to go next

• how we knowWhat was The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire about?
• how it workedHow was Memoirs of My Life and Writings compiled?
• whoWho was Edward Gibbon's father?
• the bigger pictureWhat was the Seven Years' War militia involvement?
• an unexpected connectionWho was Edward Gibbon Wakefield?

Sources

• [1]Edward Gibbon (Wikidata Q161841) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Edward Gibbon · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Edward Gibbon (died 1770) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Edward Gibbon Wakefield · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Memoirs of My Life and Writings · CC BY-SA 4.0