Getting started
Welcome to reading_gibbon, a community for reading Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire over a period of nine months. For now, membership is completely open. As things develop we will see if more restrictive policies are needed, but I hope that won't be the case. It should go without saying, but I expect all discussion to be respectful and polite, and hope that it will usually be informative and often amusing.
Getting Gibbon
Probably the easiest way to get the complete Decline and Fall is to download Project Gutenberg's version - http://www.gutenberg.org/files/25717/25717-h.zip - download it to your hard disk and unpack, and you have the whole lot, though two different versions, one of which is more accurate but the other one of which actually has footnotes. There are other versions of the whole thing online here, here, and here.
Timeline
I would propose to try and proceed at a rate of two chapters a week; if we consider that there are 71 chapters altogether, and include separately the Preface of the Author and Preface to the First Volume, the General Observations between chapters 38 and 39 and the original Preface to the Fourth Volume, and the Vindication of Chapters 15 and 16, plus the occasional holiday break, staring the first week of September 2009 should take us through to May, possibly June, of 2010.
I propose to structure the discussion by posting a reaction post for the current chapter/reading on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This will normally include 1) appreciation of particular jewels of prose; 2) an attempt to summarise the information in the chapter; and 3) questions that come to mind. I am happy to get the ball rolling by doing this myself, but would be delighted if others want to take turns.
The schedule is, therefore, for September:
Wednesday 2 Sept: Preface of the Author and Preface to the First Volume
Saturday 5 Sept: Chapter I: The Extent Of The Empire In The Age Of The Antonines
Wednesday 9 September: Chapter II: The Internal Prosperity In The Age Of The Antonines
Saturday 12 September: Chapter III: The Constitution In The Age Of The Antonines
Wednesday 16 September: Chapter IV: The Cruelty, Follies And Murder Of Commodus
Saturday 19 September: Chapter V: Sale Of The Empire To Didius Julianus
Wednesday 23 September: Chapter VI: Death Of Severus, Tyranny Of Caracalla, Usurpation Of Marcinus
Saturday 26 September: Chapter VII: Tyranny Of Maximin, Rebellion, Civil Wars, Death Of Maximin
Wednesday 30 September: Chapter VIII: Of The State Of Persia After The Restoration Of The Monarchy By Artaxerxes
That takes us to roughly AD 248 by the end of the month; we can review how things are going then.
I suggest that if you are interested in following the whole discussion, you use LJ's tracking facility for every post here. I anticipate that there will be people who come in late and have useful comments to make about chapters which have already been discussed. You can do this by clicking the push-pin icon on each entry's individual web page. In general, of course, just joining/watching the community will be enough to keep you up to speed.
Looking forward to this - methodology suggestions are very welcome, especially at this stage!
Getting Gibbon
Probably the easiest way to get the complete Decline and Fall is to download Project Gutenberg's version - http://www.gutenberg.org/files/25717/25717-h.zip - download it to your hard disk and unpack, and you have the whole lot, though two different versions, one of which is more accurate but the other one of which actually has footnotes. There are other versions of the whole thing online here, here, and here.
Timeline
I would propose to try and proceed at a rate of two chapters a week; if we consider that there are 71 chapters altogether, and include separately the Preface of the Author and Preface to the First Volume, the General Observations between chapters 38 and 39 and the original Preface to the Fourth Volume, and the Vindication of Chapters 15 and 16, plus the occasional holiday break, staring the first week of September 2009 should take us through to May, possibly June, of 2010.
I propose to structure the discussion by posting a reaction post for the current chapter/reading on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This will normally include 1) appreciation of particular jewels of prose; 2) an attempt to summarise the information in the chapter; and 3) questions that come to mind. I am happy to get the ball rolling by doing this myself, but would be delighted if others want to take turns.
The schedule is, therefore, for September:
Wednesday 2 Sept: Preface of the Author and Preface to the First Volume
Saturday 5 Sept: Chapter I: The Extent Of The Empire In The Age Of The Antonines
Wednesday 9 September: Chapter II: The Internal Prosperity In The Age Of The Antonines
Saturday 12 September: Chapter III: The Constitution In The Age Of The Antonines
Wednesday 16 September: Chapter IV: The Cruelty, Follies And Murder Of Commodus
Saturday 19 September: Chapter V: Sale Of The Empire To Didius Julianus
Wednesday 23 September: Chapter VI: Death Of Severus, Tyranny Of Caracalla, Usurpation Of Marcinus
Saturday 26 September: Chapter VII: Tyranny Of Maximin, Rebellion, Civil Wars, Death Of Maximin
Wednesday 30 September: Chapter VIII: Of The State Of Persia After The Restoration Of The Monarchy By Artaxerxes
That takes us to roughly AD 248 by the end of the month; we can review how things are going then.
I suggest that if you are interested in following the whole discussion, you use LJ's tracking facility for every post here. I anticipate that there will be people who come in late and have useful comments to make about chapters which have already been discussed. You can do this by clicking the push-pin icon on each entry's individual web page. In general, of course, just joining/watching the community will be enough to keep you up to speed.
Looking forward to this - methodology suggestions are very welcome, especially at this stage!