1737-1794. British historian, author of The
History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman
Empire 1776-88. The work was a continuous
narrative from the 2nd century AD to the fall
of Constantinople in 1453. He began work on
it while in Rome in 1764. Although
immediately sucessful, he was compelled to
reply to attacks on his account of the early
development of Christianity by a Vindication
1779. From 1783 Gibbon lived in Lausanne,
Switzerland, but he returned to England and
died in London.