EDWARD GIBBON’S THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND THE BYZANTINE STUDIES

Öz

Edward Gibbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is an iconic book which inspired many works in various disciplines like the fields of cinema and literature besides of being considered one of the masterpieces in the field of history writing. Gibbon also had a great impact on the field of Byzantine studies by negative image of Byzantine Empire that he portrayed in his book, and by many scholars he is named among those who are mainly responsible for nearly a century-long apathy towards Byzantine history. In this study, the negative impact of Gibbon’s work on the field of Byzantine studies will be mentioned in detail, an effort will be made to reveal the framework of the author’s negative view about Byzantine Empire by the medium of original text of the book, and the factors that shaped this negative view, the Enlightenment thought being in the first place, will be discussed.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Edward Gibbon
• The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
• Byzantine studies
• historiography
• Enlightenment Age

Edward Gibbon’un Roma İmparatorluğu’nun Gerileyişi ve Çöküşü Eseri ve Bizans Çalışmaları

Öz

Edward Gibbon’un Roma İmparatorluğunun Gerileyişi ve Çöküşü adlı eseri tarih yazımı alanının başyapıtlarından biri olarak kabul edilmenin yanı sıra edebiyattan sinemaya pek çok alanda verilen eserlere de ilham kaynağı olmuş ikonik bir çalışmadır. Gibbon, eserinde Bizans İmparatorluğu ile alakalı çizmiş olduğu negatif portre ile Bizans çalışmaları alanı üzerinde de büyük bir etkide bulunmuş ve pek çok araştırmacı tarafından Bizans tarihine karşı neredeyse bir asır boyunca duyulan ilgisizliğin baş sorumlularından biri olarak gösterilmiştir. Bu çalışmada Gibbon’un eserinin Bizans çalışmaları alanı üzerinde bıraktığı olumsuz etkiye detaylı olarak değinilecek, eserin özgün metninden faydalanılarak yazarın Bizans İmparatorluğu ile alakalı olumsuz bakışının ana hatları ortaya koyulmaya çalışılacak ve başta Aydınlanma Çağı düşüncesi olmak üzere bu olumsuz bakışı şekillendiren faktörler ele alınacaktır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Aydınlanma Çağı
• Edward Gibbon
• Roma İmparatorluğu’nun Gerileyişi ve Çöküşü
• Bizans çalışmaları
• tarih yazımı

Kaynakça

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