Considerations on the Causes of the Grandeur and Declension of the Roman Empire

by Montesquieu

Book Overview

Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Br?de et de Montesquieu generally referred to as simply Montesquieu, was a French lawyer, man of letters, and political philosopher who lived during the Age of Enlightenment. He is famous for his articulation of the theory of separation of powers, which is implemented in many constitutions throughout the world. He did more than any other author to secure the place of the word despotism in the political lexicon.Montesquieu...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1514328089
• ISBN13: 9781514328088
• Release Date: June 2015
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 174 Pages
• Weight: 0.71 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Concise but thorough, a worthwhile read.

Montesquieu's "Considerations..." is a refreshing change of pace from the usual, long winded, dry books on Roman history. It is a concise, clear, chronologically presented work, but still manages to be quite thorough in examining a variety of the causes behind the rise and fall of the Romans. The author touches on the social, military, economic and moral factors that made the Romans great, and in the end led to collapse of their empire. I can recommend it as a worthwhile read to those of you interested in the history of the Romans.

A Succinct and Readable analysis of Roman History

A book far too often ignored by modern readers. Montesquieu presents a succinct and readable analysis of the history of the Roman Republic and Empire. For both the layperson and the scholar interested in Roman History this is an essential read. He presents the reasons for the the spread of Rome's empire, the fall of the Republic, and the long duration and eventual collapse of the empire in a clear fashion. He goes through Roman history chronologically and shows how these causes relate to specific events. Edward Gibbon praises Montesquieu in his memoirs, and after reading his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, it is easy to see how the theses presented here on religion and the military may have influenced Gibbon's own conclusions.