The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire · ¶259

After a diligent inquiry, I can discern four principal causes of the ruin of Rome, which continued to operate in a period of more than a thousand years. I. The injuries of time and nature. II. The hostile attacks of the Barbarians and Christians. III. The use and abuse of the materials. And, IV. The domestic quarrels of the Romans.

Edward Gibbon · Project Gutenberg #736 (Milman edition) — public domain
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