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History Quotes

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History Quotes

“Empires rise and fall like the abdomen of God. It's just the universe breathing.”

Fall Universe History Breathing Empires Rise And Fall Abdomen

Author:Wes Nisker

“The Armenian genocide showed what could happen when empires were beaten into nations.”

Happens Nations History Empires Genocide Beaten Armenians Armenian Genocide

Author:Niall Ferguson

“It's a great historical joke that when the Spanish met the Aztecs, it was a blind date made in serve-you-right heaven. At the time, they were the two most unpleasant cultures in the entire world, and richly deserved each other. Still, the story of how stout Cortes blustered, bullied and bludgeoned his way to collapsing an entire empire with a handful of contagious hoodlums is astonishing.”

World Way Made Stills Two Stories Culture Heaven History Humour Mets Jokes Blind Historical Empires Handful Astonishing Contagious Bullied Stout Blind Date Great Historical

Author:A. A. Gill

“With the fall of the empire, Art, Philosophy and decent drains all vanished from the West.”

Art Philosophy Fall History Humour West Decent Empires Drains

Book:The Fall of Rome: And the End of Civilization

Source: The Fall of Rome: And the End of Civilization

“In the second century of the Christian era, the Empire of Rome comprehended the fairest part of the earth, and the most civilised portion of mankind. The frontiers of that extensive monarchy were guarded by ancient renown and disciplined valour. The gentle but powerful influence of laws and manners had gradually cemented the union of the provinces. Their peaceful inhabitants enjoyed and abused the advantages of wealth and luxury.”

Source: Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

“Among the innumerable monuments of architecture constructed by the Romans, how many have escaped the notice of history, how few have resisted the ravages of time and barbarism! And yet even the majestic ruins that are still scattered over Italy and the provinces, would be sufficient to prove that those countries were once the seat of a polite and powerful empire.”

Stills Country Would Be Powerful History Prove Architecture Ruins Sufficient Seats Empires Over It Polite Monument Provinces Roman Empire Barbarism Majestic

Book:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Source: Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

“Whatever evils either reason or declamation have imputed to extensive empire, the power of Rome was attended with some beneficial consequences to mankind; and the same freedom of intercourse which extended the vices, diffused likewise the improvements of social life.”

Reason Evil Social History Mankind Consequence Vices Improvement Empires Rome Beneficial Intercourse Social Life Roman Empire Declamation

Book:The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire:

Source: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire:

“Agriculture is the foundation of manufactures; since the productions of nature are the materials of art. Under the Roman empire, the labour of an industrious and ingenious people was variously, but incessantly employed, in the service of the rich. In their dress, their table, their houses, and their furniture, the favourites of fortune united every refinement of conveniency, of elegance, and of splendour, whatever could soothe their pride or gratify their sensuality.”

Source: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1: With Maps

“The love of action is a principle of a much stronger and more doubtful nature. It often leads to anger, to ambition, and to revenge; but when it is guided by the sense of propriety and benevolence, it becomes the parent of every virtue, and, if those virtues are accompanied with equal abilities, a family, a state, or an empire may be indebted for their safety and prosperity to the undaunted courage of a single man.”

Source: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

“While the Romans languished under the ignominious tyranny of eunuchs and bishops, the praises of Julian were repeated with transport in every part of the empire, except in the palace of Constantius.”

History Praise Tyranny Empires Palaces Bishops Transport Roman Empire Eunuchs

Book:THE HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (All 6 Volumes): From the Height of the Roman Empire, the Age of Trajan and the Antonines - to the Fall of Byzantium; Including a Review of the Crusades, and the State of Rome during the Middle Ages

Source: THE HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (All 6 Volumes): From the Height of the Roman Empire, the Age of Trajan and the Antonines - to the Fall of Byzantium; Including a Review of the Crusades, and the State of Rome during the Middle Ages

“Julian sincerely abhorred the system of oriental despotism which Diocletian, Constantine, and the patient habits of four score years, had established in the empire. A motive of superstition prevented the execution of the design which Julian had frequently meditated, of relieving his head from the weight of a costly diadem; but he absolutely refused the title of Dominus or Lord, a word which was grown so familiar to the ears of the Romans, that they no longer remembered its servile and humiliating origin.”

Source: The Modern Library Essential World History 4-Book Bundle: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Abridged); Montcalm and Wolfe; History of the Conquest of Mexico; The Naval War of 1812

“The archiepiscopal throne of Macedonius, which had been polluted with so much Christian blood, was successively filled by Eudoxus and Damophilus. Their diocese enjoyed a free importation of vice and error from every province of the empire; the eager pursuit of religious controversy afforded a new occupation to the busy idleness of the metropolis: and we may credit the assertion of an intelligent observer, who describes, with some pleasantry, the effects of their loquacious zeal.”

Source: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume II: A.D. 395 to A.D. 1185 (A Modern Library E-Book)

“The division of the Roman world between the sons of Theodosius marks the final establishment of the empire of the East, which, from the reign of Arcadius to the taking of Constantinople by the Turks, subsisted one thousand and fifty-eight years in a state of premature and perpetual decay.”

Source: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume II: A.D. 395 to A.D. 1185 (A Modern Library E-Book)

“The union of the Roman empire was dissolved; its genius was humbled in the dust; and armies of unknown barbarians, issuing from the frozen regions of the North, had established their victorious reign over the fairest provinces of Europe and Africa.”

History Genius Europe Army Unions Dust Empires Regions Reign Frozen Provinces Barbarians Roman Empire

Book:The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Source: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

“If all the barbarian conquerors had been annihilated in the same hour, their total destruction would not have restored the empire of the West: and if Rome still survived, she survived the loss of freedom, of virtue, and of honour.”

Ifs Stills Hours Loss History Virtue Destruction West Empires Honour Rome Survived Barbarians Roman Empire Conqueror

Book:The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Source: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

“God is the ruler of history. His times are well chosen The Roman Empire was an instrument in his hand. And so are the nations of the modern world.”

World Wells God Hands Time Nations History Modern Instruments Chosen Empires Rulers Theologian Modern World Roman Empire Instruments Of God

Author:John Gresham Machen

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan... We will gain the inevitable triumph so help us God.”

“This agglomeration which was called and which still calls itself the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.”

Stills History Holy Empires Roman Empire

Author:Voltaire

“Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'”

“The empires of the future are the empires of the mind.”

Life Inspirational Mind Inspiring Education Vision History Technology Teacher Future Law Of Attraction Empires Insightful Classroom My Future Of My Mind Power Of The Mind

Author:Winston Churchill

“Geological facts being of an historical nature, all attempts to deduce a complete knowledge of them merely from their still, subsisting consequences, to the exclusion of unexceptionable testimony, must be deemed as absurd as that of deducing the history of ancient Rome solely from the medals or other monuments of antiquity it still exhibits, or the scattered ruins of its empire, to the exclusion of a Livy, a Sallust, or a Tacitus.”

Stills Facts Science Knowledge History Consequence Historical Ancient Absurd Observation Ruins Empires Rome Testimony Medal Monument Exhibits Antiquity Exclusion Geology Ancient Rome

Book:Geological essays

Source: Geological essays

“Great Britain has lost an Empire and has not yet found a role.”

Found Lost Roles History Losing Classic Britain Empires Great Britain British History

Author:Dean Acheson

“It is scarcely possible that the eyes of contemporaries should discover in the public felicity the latent causes of decay and corruption. This long peace, and the uniform government of the Romans, introduced a slow and secret poison into the vitals of the empire. The minds of men were gradually reduced to the same level, the fire of genius was extinguished, and even the military spirit evaporated.”

Men Should Mind Long Government Eye Spirit Causes Levels Secret History Fire Military Genius Corruption Poison Empires Decay Uniforms Roman Empire Felicity Latent

Author:Edward Gibbon