History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1 — Page 10
Both these writers adhere, almost entirely, to chronological order; the consequence is, that we are twenty times called upon to break off, and resume the thread of six or eight wars in different parts of the empire; to suspend the operations of a military expedition for a court intrigue; to hurry away from a siege to a council; and the same page places us in the middle of a campaign against the barbarians, and in the depths of the Monophysite controversy.
Ces deux auteurs s'en tiennent, presque entièrement, à l'ordre chronologique ; il en résulte que nous sommes vingt fois invités à interrompre, puis à reprendre le fil de six ou huit guerres dans différentes parties de l'empire ; à suspendre les opérations d'une expédition militaire pour une intrigue de cour ; à quitter précipitamment un siège pour un conseil ; et la même page nous place au milieu d'une campagne contre les barbares, et au cœur de la controverse monophysite.
In Gibbon it is not always easy to bear in mind the exact dates but the course of events is ever clear and distinct; like a skilful general, though his troops advance from the most remote and opposite quarters, they are constantly bearing down and concentrating themselves on one point—that which is still occupied by the name, and by the waning power of Rome.
Chez Gibbon, il n'est pas toujours aisé de garder en mémoire les dates exactes, mais le cours des événements est toujours clair et distinct ; tel un général habile, bien que ses troupes avancent des contrées les plus lointaines et les plus opposées, elles convergent et se concentrent constamment sur un seul point — celui qui est encore occupé par le nom, et par la puissance déclinante de Rome.
Whether he traces the progress of hostile religions, or leads from the shores of the Baltic, or the verge of the Chinese empire, the successive hosts of barbarians—though one wave has hardly burst and discharged itself, before another swells up and approaches—all is made to flow in the same direction, and the impression which each makes upon the tottering fabric of the Roman greatness, connects their distant movements, and measures the relative importance assigned to them in the panoramic history.
Qu'il retrace la progression de religions ennemies, ou qu'il conduise depuis les rivages de la Baltique, ou les confins de l'empire chinois, les armées successives de barbares — bien qu'une vague ait à peine déferlé et se soit épuisée avant qu'une autre enfle et s'approche — tout est amené à couler dans la même direction, et l'impression que chacune produit sur l'édifice chancelant de la grandeur romaine relie leurs mouvements lointains et mesure l'importance relative qui leur est accordée dans cette histoire panoramique.
Vocabulary
- auteurs
- Authors or writers of texts
- tiennent
- Third-person plural of 'tenir', to keep or hold
- presque
- Adverb meaning almost or nearly
- entièrement
- Adverb meaning entirely or completely
- ordre
- Order, arrangement, or sequence of things
- résulte
- Third-person singular of 'résulter', to result or follow
- fois
- Noun meaning times or occasions
- invités
- Invited; past participle of 'inviter'
- interrompre
- To interrupt or break off something in progress
- puis
- Adverb meaning then or afterwards
- reprendre
- To resume or take up again
- fil
- Thread; figuratively the thread or continuity of a narrative
- guerres
- Wars or armed conflicts between groups
- différentes
- Adjective meaning different or various
- parties
- Parts, regions, or sections of a whole
- empire
- Empire; a large political entity under one ruler
- suspendre
- To suspend or temporarily halt an activity
- opérations
- Operations; organized military or strategic activities
- expédition
- Expedition; organized journey or military campaign
- militaire
- Adjective meaning military or relating to armed forces
- intrigue
- Intrigue or plot, especially in a political context
- cour
- Court; the household or assembly around a monarch
- quitter
- To leave or depart from a place
- précipitamment
- Hastily or hurriedly, without preparation
- siège
- Siege; prolonged military blockade of a fortification
- conseil
- Council or advisory assembly of people
- même
- Adjective or adverb meaning same or even
- place
- Places or puts; third-person singular of 'placer'
- milieu
- Middle or midst; the center of something
- campagne
- Campaign; a series of coordinated military operations
- contre
- Preposition meaning 'against' or 'opposing'
- barbares
- Barbarians; peoples considered uncivilized or foreign
- cœur
- Heart; figuratively the center or core of something
- controverse
- Controversy or debate over a disputed subject
- Chez
- Preposition meaning 'with', 'among', or 'in the work of'
- toujours
- Adverb meaning always or still
- aisé
- Easy or simple; not difficult
- garder
- To keep, retain, or hold in memory
- mémoire
- Memory; the ability to recall past information
- exactes
- Exact or precise; without error
- cours
- Course or progression; the flow of events
- événements
- Events; things that happen at a specific time
- clair
- Clear, bright, or easy to understand
- distinct
- Distinct; clearly separate and different from others
- tel
- Such or like; referring to something previously mentioned
- général
- General; a high-ranking military commander
- habile
- Skillful, clever, or capable in a given domain
- troupes
- Troops; soldiers or military forces collectively
- avancent
- Third-person plural of 'avancer', to advance or move forward
- contrées
- Regions or territories; geographical areas
- lointaines
- Distant or remote; far away in space or time
- opposées
- Opposite or opposing; facing in contrary directions
- convergent
- Third-person plural of 'converger', to converge or meet
- concentrent
- Third-person plural of 'concentrer', to concentrate or focus
- constamment
- Constantly or continually without interruption
- seul
- Alone or single; only one of its kind
- point
- Point; a specific location, moment, or aspect
- celui
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'the one' or 'that one'
- encore
- Still, yet, or again; continuing to be the case
- occupé
- Occupied; held or taken by a person or force
- nom
- Name; word used to identify a person or thing
- puissance
- Power or might; the strength of a nation or force
- déclinante
- Declining; weakening or diminishing over time
- retrace
- Traces back or retraces; follows again a path or history
- progression
- Progression; gradual development or advance over time
- religions
- Religions; systems of faith and worship
- ennemies
- Enemy; hostile or opposing forces or groups
- conduise
- Subjunctive of 'conduire'; to lead or guide someone
- depuis
- Preposition meaning 'from' or 'since' a point in time
- rivages
- Shores or banks; the edges of a body of water
- confins
- Confines or borders; the outermost edges of a territory
- armées
- Armies; large organized military forces
- successives
- Successive; following one after another in order
- vague
- Wave; a surge or swell of movement or force
- peine
- Difficulty or trouble; effort required to do something
- déferlé
- Past participle of 'déferler'; to break or surge like a wave
- épuisée
- Exhausted or depleted; having no strength remaining
- avant
- Before; prior to in time or position
- enfle
- Third-person singular of 'enfler'; to swell or grow larger
- approche
- Approaches; draws near to a place or moment
- amené
- Brought or led; past participle of 'amener'
- couler
- To flow; to move steadily in one direction
- direction
- Direction; the course along which something moves
- impression
- Impression; an effect or feeling produced in the mind
- chacune
- Each one; feminine form of 'chacun'
- produit
- Produces; third-person singular of 'produire'
- édifice
- Building or edifice; a large imposing structure
- chancelant
- Tottering or wavering; unsteady and about to fall
- grandeur
- Grandeur or greatness; impressive magnificence
- relie
- Connects or links; third-person singular of 'relier'
- mouvements
- Movements; actions or changes in position
- lointains
- Distant or remote; far-off in space
- mesure
- Measure; the extent or degree of something
- importance
- Importance; the quality of being significant
- relative
- Relative; considered in comparison to something else
- accordée
- Granted or given; past participle of 'accorder'
- histoire
- History or story; an account of past events
- panoramique
- Panoramic; offering a wide, sweeping view or perspective
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