History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1 — Page 7
This extent and harmony of design is unquestionably that which distinguishes the work of Gibbon from all other great historical compositions.
Esta extensão e harmonia de concepção é incontestavelmente o que distingue a obra de Gibbon de todas as outras grandes composições históricas.
He has first bridged the abyss between ancient and modern times, and connected together the two great worlds of history.
Ele foi o primeiro a transpor o abismo entre os tempos antigos e modernos, e a unir os dois grandes mundos da história.
The great advantage which the classical historians possess over those of modern times is in unity of plan, of course greatly facilitated by the narrower sphere to which their researches were confined.
A grande vantagem que os historiadores clássicos possuem sobre os dos tempos modernos está na unidade de plano, evidentemente muito facilitada pela esfera mais restrita à qual as suas investigações se limitavam.
Except Herodotus, the great historians of Greece—we exclude the more modern compilers, like Diodorus Siculus—limited themselves to a single period, or at 'east to the contracted sphere of Grecian affairs.
À exceção de Heródoto, os grandes historiadores da Grécia — excluímos os compiladores mais modernos, como Diodoro Sículo — limitaram-se a um único período, ou pelo menos à esfera restrita dos assuntos gregos.
As far as the Barbarians trespassed within the Grecian boundary, or were necessarily mingled up with Grecian politics, they were admitted into the pale of Grecian history; but to Thucydides and to Xenophon, excepting in the Persian inroad of the latter, Greece was the world.
Na medida em que os Bárbaros penetravam nos limites gregos, ou se misturavam necessariamente com a política grega, eram admitidos no âmbito da história grega; mas para Tucídides e para Xenofonte, excetuando a incursão persa deste último, a Grécia era o mundo.
Natural unity confined their narrative almost to chronological order, the episodes were of rare occurrence and extremely brief.
A unidade natural confinava a sua narrativa quase à ordem cronológica, os episódios eram de rara ocorrência e extremamente breves.
To the Roman historians the course was equally clear and defined.
Para os historiadores romanos o caminho era igualmente claro e definido.
Rome was their centre of unity; and the uniformity with which the circle of the Roman dominion spread around, the regularity with which their civil polity expanded, forced, as it were, upon the Roman historian that plan which Polybius announces as the subject of his history, the means and the manner by which the whole world became subject to the Roman sway.
Roma era o seu centro de unidade; e a uniformidade com que o círculo do domínio romano se expandia ao redor, a regularidade com que a sua organização civil se alargava, impunha, por assim dizer, ao historiador romano aquele plano que Políbio anuncia como tema da sua história, os meios e a maneira pela qual o mundo inteiro se tornou sujeito ao poder romano.
How different the complicated politics of the European kingdoms!
Quão diferentes a complicada política dos reinos europeus!
Vocabulary
- extensão
- Extension, range, or scope of something
- harmonia
- Harmony, agreement, or pleasant combination
- concepção
- Conception, idea, or plan of something
- incontestavelmente
- Indisputably, without any possible contest or doubt
- distingue
- Distinguishes, sets apart from others
- obra
- Work, literary or artistic creation
- composições
- Compositions, written or artistic works
- históricas
- Historical, relating to history (feminine plural)
- transpor
- To transpose, cross over, or bridge a gap
- abismo
- Abyss, chasm, or vast unbridgeable gap
- tempos
- Times, periods, or eras
- antigos
- Ancient, old (masculine plural adjective)
- modernos
- Modern, contemporary (masculine plural adjective)
- unir
- To unite, join, or connect together
- mundos
- Worlds, realms, or distinct spheres
- história
- History, story, or narrative of events
- vantagem
- Advantage, benefit, or superior position
- historiadores
- Historians, writers of historical works
- clássicos
- Classical, relating to ancient Greek or Roman tradition
- possuem
- Possess, own, or have (third person plural)
- unidade
- Unity, oneness, or coherence of a whole
- plano
- Plan, scheme, or overall design
- evidentemente
- Evidently, obviously, clearly to all observers
- facilitada
- Facilitated, made easier (past participle, feminine)
- esfera
- Sphere, domain, or field of activity
- restrita
- Restricted, limited, narrow (feminine adjective)
- investigações
- Investigations, inquiries, or scholarly research
- limitavam
- Were limited, confined, or restricted (imperfect)
- exceção
- Exception, case excluded from a general rule
- excluímos
- We exclude, leave out (first person plural)
- compiladores
- Compilers, those who gather and compile works
- limitaram-se
- Limited themselves, confined themselves (reflexive past)
- único
- Unique, sole, only one (adjective)
- período
- Period, span of time or historical era
- assuntos
- Subjects, topics, or matters under discussion
- gregos
- Greek (masculine plural adjective or noun)
- medida
- Measure, extent, degree of something
- Bárbaros
- Barbarians, foreigners considered uncivilized
- penetravam
- Were penetrating, entering forcibly (imperfect tense)
- limites
- Limits, borders, or boundaries of a territory
- misturavam
- Were mixing, blending, or mingling (imperfect)
- necessariamente
- Necessarily, inevitably, of necessity
- política
- Politics, policy, or affairs of state
- grega
- Greek (feminine singular adjective)
- admitidos
- Admitted, allowed, accepted (past participle plural)
- âmbito
- Scope, ambit, or range of coverage
- excetuando
- Excepting, excluding from consideration (gerund)
- incursão
- Incursion, raid, or military invasion
- persa
- Persian, relating to Persia (adjective or noun)
- último
- Last, final, most recent (adjective)
- natural
- Natural, occurring in or by nature
- confinava
- Confined, restricted (third person singular imperfect)
- narrativa
- Narrative, account, or telling of a story
- quase
- Almost, nearly, approximately (adverb)
- ordem
- Order, sequence, or organized arrangement
- cronológica
- Chronological, arranged in order of time
- episódios
- Episodes, incidents, or individual narrative events
- rara
- Rare, uncommon, infrequent (feminine adjective)
- ocorrência
- Occurrence, instance, or happening of an event
- extremamente
- Extremely, to the highest degree (adverb)
- breves
- Brief, short, concise (plural adjective)
- romanos
- Romans, inhabitants of ancient Rome (plural)
- caminho
- Path, road, or way toward a destination
- igualmente
- Equally, likewise, in the same manner
- claro
- Clear, evident, obvious (adjective)
- definido
- Defined, clearly outlined, determined (past participle)
- centro
- Center, focal point, or middle of something
- uniformidade
- Uniformity, consistency, or sameness throughout
- círculo
- Circle, ring, or rounded boundary area
- domínio
- Domain, dominion, or territory under control
- romano
- Roman, relating to Rome (masculine adjective)
- expandia
- Was expanding, growing outward (imperfect tense)
- redor
- Around, surrounding area (used in ao redor)
- regularidade
- Regularity, consistency, orderly pattern
- organização
- Organization, structured arrangement of elements
- civil
- Civil, relating to citizens or civilian life
- alargava
- Was widening, broadening (third person imperfect)
- impunha
- Was imposing, forcing upon (imperfect tense)
- assim
- Thus, so, in this way (adverb)
- historiador
- Historian, scholar who studies and writes history
- aquele
- That (masculine demonstrative pronoun, distant)
- anuncia
- Announces, declares, proclaims (third person singular)
- tema
- Theme, subject, or central topic
- meios
- Means, methods, or ways of doing something
- maneira
- Manner, way, or method of doing something
- inteiro
- Entire, whole, complete (masculine adjective)
- tornou
- Became, turned into (third person preterite)
- sujeito
- Subject, subjected to, or topic (noun/adjective)
- poder
- Power, authority, or ability to do something
- Quão
- How (exclamatory adverb of degree)
- complicada
- Complicated, complex, difficult to understand
- reinos
- Kingdoms, realms, or sovereign territories
- europeus
- European, relating to Europe (masculine plural)
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