Passage (Edward Gibbon, *The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire*, 1776, Chapter I): "In the second century of the Christian Æra, the empire of Rome comprehended the fairest part of the earth, and the most civilized portion of mankind. The frontiers of that extensive monarchy were guarded by ancient renown and disciplined valor. The gentle but powerful influence of laws and manners had gradually cemented the union of the provinces. Their peaceful inhabitants enjoyed and abused the advantages of wealth and luxury. The image of a free constitution was preserved with decent reverence: the Roman senate appeared to possess the sovereign authority, and devolved on the emperors all the executive powers of government. During a happy period of more than fourscore years, the public administration was conducted by the virtue and abilities of Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and the two Antonines. It is the design of this, and of the two succeeding chapters, to describe the prosperous condition of their empire; and afterwards, from the death of Marcus Antoninus, to deduce the most important circumstances of its decline and fall; a revolution which will ever be remembered, and is still felt by the nations of the earth." The clause "a revolution which will ever be remembered, and is still felt by the nations of the earth" serves principally to:
Aclaim that the Roman empire continues to exist in the present day.
Bpredict the imminent end of all modern European empires.
Ccast doubt on whether the decline of Rome was historically important.
Djustify the historian's choice of subject by asserting its lasting and contemporary significance.
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. justify the historian's choice of subject by asserting its lasting and contemporary significance.
The clause comes at the end of Gibbon's statement of intent. He has just announced what he plans to describe (the prosperity, then the decline). The closing clause then defends the choice of subject: the decline is *still* remembered and *still* felt by *the nations of the earth*. That is a justification for why this topic is worth a multi-volume history.
- **A** is wrong — Gibbon claims its **effects** are still felt, not that the empire itself still exists.
- **C** introduces a prediction about modern empires that Gibbon does not make here.
- **D** is the opposite of what the clause does — it asserts importance, not the lack of it.
GRE move to watch: an opening or closing clause that *justifies the project* of the surrounding text. Its function is structural — making the rest of the work feel necessary — rather than descriptive.
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