Hello!
I know Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" is a topic all on its own in the FAQ, but I didn't quite see an answer to this and I was hoping to get informed opinions from experts in the field:
I understand that Gibbon's analysis is considered flawed for many reasons, and I know that a lot of new information has come to light since his work. Still, suppose that I want to learn about the history of Rome post 2nd Century, and am aware of Gibbon's biases. Would it be worth it to read his work in this sense?
Or is it only worth it from a literature standpoint ("it's well written and has influenced the thinking of people at the time and beyond") / meta-history standpoint ("this is what people in Gibbon's time thought of that period in Rome's history") / history of ideas standpoint?
Many thanks!
Gibbon is a great read for his unique and witty rhetoric, being one of few historians who have written in such a fashion. He provides his own personal view throughout and makes sarcastic remarks. However, in terms of educational value, there is no major reason to read Gibbon over other sources, as other sources are either primary sources which contribute to our understanding of the empire in its context if that is what you are researching (of which I recommend you to find an analysis or commentary on these works, notably Tacitus or Livy's works) or modern secondary sources which are vastly more succinct and useful than Gibbon.
Well, it depends on how much time you want to devote to reading about the Roman Empire. If you are only going to ever read one definitive text on the Roman Empire, Gibbon is not what you're looking for. You want something modern.
But if you're a Roman Empire buff, you have to read Gibbon. He's been extremely influential throughout the last two centuries. When I think of historians of the Roman Empire, his is the first that pops up, despite him being so dated. And as you mentioned it does give you an interesting view on how people in the British colonial era thought of the Empire, and specifically what comparisons they were making, consciously and subconsciously.