Considerations on the Causes of the Grandeur and Decadence of the Romans
- Language:
- English
- Translation:
- Jehu Baker
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- Clean text
- Extent:
- ~190,000 words · 884 passages
Cite this work
- APAMontesquieu. (n.d.). Considerations on the Causes of the Grandeur and Decadence of the Romans. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/montesquieu/considerations-on-the-causes-of-the-grandeur-and-decadence-of-the-romans
- MLAMontesquieu. "Considerations on the Causes of the Grandeur and Decadence of the Romans." SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/montesquieu/considerations-on-the-causes-of-the-grandeur-and-decadence-of-the-romans.
- ChicagoMontesquieu. Considerations on the Causes of the Grandeur and Decadence of the Romans. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/montesquieu/considerations-on-the-causes-of-the-grandeur-and-decadence-of-the-romans.
What it is about
The book in which Montesquieu explains why Rome rose and why it fell, arguing that it was not fortune but causes that can be listed.
Context and history
Published in 1734, fourteen years before The Spirit of the Laws, it reads as the trial run for that book: here he tests on a single case the method he will later apply to everything. The sentence quoted from it is that if a battle ruined a state, there was a general cause making it necessary that the state should perish by a single battle. It is also a covert political work: to speak of Rome's decline was to speak of the French monarchy, and his readers knew it.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
revision and emendation recently made — was finislied in 1876. The subject, however, is one against which time runs but slowly — if at all. It win be seen that the book is by no means a mere translation of Montesquieu's treatise; but that, beyond this, the Romans are used as a nexus for all antiquity, and the general movement of the world's civilization sought to be inferred. There must be errors ; but, in view of the nature and difficulties of the task undertaken, it seems obvious that criticism should be considerate and candid — no more is asked. The Notes which have been contributed by my- self are duly indicated as such ; those which are inclosed in 'brackets have been supplied by the French editors; aU others are Montesquieu's. Belleville, Illinois, March IS, 1882. GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE Translator's Inteoduction 9 Idea of " the Grandeur and Decadence of the Romans " — from the French of La Harpe 15 Chap. I. — The Beginnings of Rome. — Her Wara. . 19 Note by the Translator 31 II. — Art of War among the Romans 48 Note by the Translator 51 III. — How the Romans were able to aggrandize themselves. ... 61 Note by the Translator • 66 IV. — ^The Gauls. — Pyrrhus. — Comparison of Carthage and Rome. — ^War with Hannibal 76 Note by the Translator 91 V. — State of Greece, of Macedon, of Syria and Egypt, aft§r the abasement of Carthage 107 Note by the Translator 124 VI. — Policy adopted by the Romans for the conquest of all Nations 129 Note by the Translator 146 VII. — Mithridates. — How he was able to resist the Romans. . . . 165 Note by the Translator 160 VIII. — Of the Divisions which constantly existed in the
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