EDWARD GIBBON’S THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND THE BYZANTINE STUDIES

Abstract

Edward Gibbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is an iconic book which inspired many works in various disciplines like the fields of cinema and literature besides of being considered one of the masterpieces in the field of history writing. Gibbon also had a great impact on the field of Byzantine studies by negative image of Byzantine Empire that he portrayed in his book, and by many scholars he is named among those who are mainly responsible for nearly a century-long apathy towards Byzantine history. In this study, the negative impact of Gibbon’s work on the field of Byzantine studies will be mentioned in detail, an effort will be made to reveal the framework of the author’s negative view about Byzantine Empire by the medium of original text of the book, and the factors that shaped this negative view, the Enlightenment thought being in the first place, will be discussed.