1783-1790 The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Description

Folding Plates, Leather Binding, Very Scarce

The very scarce complete first octavo edition of Gibbons' famous work, uniformly bound in full calf. While billed as 'A New Edition' to the title pages, these volumes are all the very scarce first octavo edition.

Volumes I-III of Gibbons's magnum opus were first published between between 1776 and 1781 in three quarto volumes, and are here found bound in six volumes in the very scarce first octavo edition, dated 1783.

ESTC T78366

Volumes IV-VI were first published in quarto volumes between 1788 and 1789, and are here found bound in six volumes, and in the very scarce first octavo editions, dated 1790.

ESTC T78370

Illustrated with a portrait frontispiece to volume I, a folding map to volume II, two large folding maps to the rear of volume VI. Collated, complete.

Gibbon here offers a condensed, detailed, and thorough history of the fall of the Roman Empire, covering a period from 98 to 1590. He further explores the history of Europe, Christianity, and the Church.

Gibbon has been criticized for his flawed interpretations of various religions, with his scathing views on Christianity leading the book to be banned in several countries upon its publication.

Volumes VI-XII retaining half titles. 

With the bookplates of W. Combes to front pastedown of volume I.