Considerations on the Causes of the Greatness of the Romans and their Decline

What it is

This book, first published anonymously in 1734, was written by Montesquieu and traces Roman history from the founding of the Republic to the fall of Constantinople. A revised edition appeared in France in 1748.

Why it matters

Montesquieu argues that Rome's wealth and military success actually weakened the civic virtue of its citizens, and that moral decline, not single events or leaders, explains its fall. The work was an acknowledged inspiration for Edward Gibbon's later history of Rome's decline, and shows how Montesquieu's ideas about causes and patterns in history fed into his later political theory.

Look closer

• Why might Montesquieu look for general causes of decline rather than blaming specific rulers or events?
• How might comparing Rome to its enemies, like Carthage and Greece, change the way readers see Roman history?
• What does this book reveal about Montesquieu's own concerns in 18th-century France?