HKB
6 passages · search this phrase →
Often appears with: the city and urban life · religious persecution and toleration · conquest, plunder, and captives · valentinian · thrace · the passions and the emotions · symmachus and libanius · strategy and the aims of war · roman military administration · recovery of britain · psychological impact of defeat · mobilization and recruitment
Usually: detachment (3) · argument (2) · narrative (2) · commentary or gloss (1) · list or catalogue (1) · captivity (1) · crisis of belief (1) · injustice endured (1) · censure (1) · praise (1)
“He seized the favorable moment of navigation, and securely landed the numerous and veteran bands of the Heruli and Batavians, the Jovians and the Victors.” Edward Gibbon, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire · observation
“The palace, the schools, the army, and the senate, were filled with declared and devout Pagans; they obtained, without distinction, the civil and military honors of the empire.” Edward Gibbon, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire · observation
“Theodosius might undoubtedly have proposed to his Pagan subjects the alternative of baptism or of death; and the eloquent Libanius has praised the moderation of a prince, who never enacted, by any positive law, that all his subjects should immediately embrace and practise the religion of their sovereign.” Edward Gibbon, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire · insight
“Yet I may boldly pronounce, that the battle of Hadrianople was never revenged by any signal or decisive victory of Theodosius over the Barbarians: and the expressive silence of his venal orators may be confirmed by the observation of the condition and circumstances of the times.” Edward Gibbon, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire · insight
This continues with additional index entries, including Tertullus and Theodosius (both the senior and junior Theodosius), and broader geographic notes like Thrace and Scythia.
Tertullus, prefect of Rome, 203, 259 Teuchira, a town in Cyrene, 312 Teutomeres, chief of the Protectores, 51 Teutones, incursions of the, 591 Thalassius (i.), prefect of the East, 4, 23; (ii.) an officer in one of the law courts at Rome, 298 Thasos, now Thaso, 286 Thebes, a city in Egypt, 129, 312 Themiscyra forest, inhabited by Amazons, 289 Themistocles, 571 Theodorus, 505, 506, 511 Theodosius (i.), 453…
Gibbon reports Chrysostom’s estimate of Antioch’s Christian population under Theodosius and reconciles it with different claims by explaining Antioch’s civic lists included slaves, strangers, and infants.
158 (return) [ Plin. Epist. x. 97.] Without descending into a minute scrutiny of the expressions or of the motives of those writers who either celebrate or lament the progress of Christianity in the East, it may in general be observed that none of them have left us any grounds from whence a just estimate might be formed of the real numbers of the faithful in those provinces. One circums…
Valentinian learns that Barbarians have cut off Britain’s commanders and dispatches the brave Theodosius to recover the province, who lands veterans, defeats raiders, restores discipline, and secures aid from Treves.
have been publicly exhibited in a Roman city or a Roman camp. I must leave the hereditary pride of our northern neighbors at issue with the veracity of St. Jerom.—M.] Every messenger who escaped across the British Channel, conveyed the most melancholy and alarming tidings to the ears of Valentinian; and the emperor was soon informed that the two military commanders of the province had been surprise…
Gibbon closes a discussion of Ammianus and then argues that Theodosius never fully avenged Hadrianople, stressing how psychological effects of the battle outweighed Roman material losses.
medals of the emperor Trajan; whilst intelligent observers discovered, in the qualities of his heart and understanding, a more important resemblance to the best and greatest of the Roman princes. 107 (return) [ *Italica*, founded by Scipio Africanus for his wounded veterans of *Italy*. The ruins still appear, about a league above Seville, but on the opposite bank of the river. See the Hispania Illu…
Gibbon claims Theodosius practiced tolerance in civil rights—keeping pagans in the palace, schools, army, and senate—while still enforcing laws against pagan sacrifices.
58 (return) [ Libanius (pro Templis, p. 17, 18) mentions, without censure the occasional conformity, and as it were theatrical play, of these hypocrites.] 59 (return) [ Libanius concludes his apology (p. 32) by declaring to the emperor, that unless he expressly warrants the destruction of the temples, the proprietors will defend themselves and the laws.] 60 (return) [ Paulinus, in Vit. Ambros. c. …
At Carthage, Belisarius catches Antonina with the Thracian youth Theodosius but is misled; a slave woman Macedonia later exposes them, leading to Theodosius’s escape to Ephesus and the mutilation of witnesses.
in the presence of her servants and handmaidens; for she was by this time so mad with lust, that she disregarded everything that stood in the way of her passion. Once, when they were at Carthage, Belisarius caught her in the act, but permitted himself to be deceived by his wife. He found them both together in an underground chamber, and was furiously enraged at the sight; but she showed no sign of fear or a desire t…