History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1

Name: History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1
Author: Gibbon, Edward

Gibbon, Edward

Byzantine Empire -- History -- To 527; Rome -- History -- Empire, 30 B.C.-476 A.D.

As soon as Hadrian’s passion was either gratified or
      disappointed, he resolved to deserve the thanks of posterity, by
      placing the most exalted merit on the Roman throne. His
      discerning eye easily discovered a senator about fifty years of
      age, blameless in all the offices of life; and a youth of about
      seventeen, whose riper years opened a fair prospect of every
      virtue: the elder of these was declared the son and successor of
      Hadrian, on condition, however, that he himself should
      immediately adopt the younger. The two Antonines (for it is of
      them that we are now speaking,) governed the Roman world
      forty-two years, with the same invariable spirit of wisdom and
      virtue. Although Pius had two sons, he preferred the welfare of
      Rome to the interest of his family, gave his daughter Faustina,
      in marriage to young Marcus, obtained from the senate the
      tribunitian and proconsular powers, and, with a noble disdain, or
      rather ignorance of jealousy, associated him to all the labors of
      government. Marcus, on the other hand, revered the character of
      his benefactor, loved him as a parent, obeyed him as his
      sovereign, and, after he was no more, regulated his own
      administration by the example and maxims of his predecessor.
      Their united reigns are possibly the only period of history in
      which the happiness of a great people was the sole object of
      government.

      Titus Antoninus Pius has been justly denominated a second Numa.
      The same love of religion, justice, and peace, was the
      distinguishing characteristic of both princes. But the situation
      of the latter opened a much larger field for the exercise of
      those virtues. Numa could only prevent a few neighboring villages
      from plundering each other’s harvests. Antoninus diffused order
      and tranquillity over the greatest part of the earth. His reign
      is marked by the rare advantage of furnishing very few materials
      for history; which is, indeed, little more than the register of
      the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind. In private life,
      he was an amiable, as well as a good man. The native simplicity
      of his virtue was a stranger to vanity or affectation. He enjoyed
      with moderation the conveniences of his fortune, and the innocent
      pleasures of society; and the benevolence of his soul displayed
      itself in a cheerful serenity of temper.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1Gibbon, Edward

History

History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1

Gibbon, Edward

Byzantine Empire -- History -- To 527; Rome -- History -- Empire, 30 B.C.-476 A.D.

As soon as Hadrian’s passion was either gratified or
      disappointed, he resolved to deserve the thanks of posterity, by
      placing the most exalted merit on the Roman throne. His
      discerning eye easily discovered a senator about fifty years of
      age, blameless in all the offices of life; and a youth of about
      seventeen, whose riper years opened a fair prospect of every
      virtue: the elder of these was declared the son and successor of
      Hadrian, on condition, however, that he himself should
      immediately adopt the younger. The two Antonines (for it is of
      them that we are now speaking,) governed the Roman world
      forty-two years, with the same invariable spirit of wisdom and
      virtue. Although Pius had two sons, he preferred the welfare of
      Rome to the interest of his family, gave his daughter Faustina,
      in marriage to young Marcus, obtained from the senate the
      tribunitian and proconsular powers, and, with a noble disdain, or
      rather ignorance of jealousy, associated him to all the labors of
      government. Marcus, on the other hand, revered the character of
      his benefactor, loved him as a parent, obeyed him as his
      sovereign, and, after he was no more, regulated his own
      administration by the example and maxims of his predecessor.
      Their united reigns are possibly the only period of history in
      which the happiness of a great people was the sole object of
      government.

      Titus Antoninus Pius has been justly denominated a second Numa.
      The same love of religion, justice, and peace, was the
      distinguishing characteristic of both princes. But the situation
      of the latter opened a much larger field for the exercise of
      those virtues. Numa could only prevent a few neighboring villages
      from plundering each other’s harvests. Antoninus diffused order
      and tranquillity over the greatest part of the earth. His reign
      is marked by the rare advantage of furnishing very few materials
      for history; which is, indeed, little more than the register of
      the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind. In private life,
      he was an amiable, as well as a good man. The native simplicity
      of his virtue was a stranger to vanity or affectation. He enjoyed
      with moderation the conveniences of his fortune, and the innocent
      pleasures of society; and the benevolence of his soul displayed
      itself in a cheerful serenity of temper.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1

History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1

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