Edward Gibbon (8 May 173716 January 1794) was an English historian and Member of Parliament. His most important work, "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788. The "Decline and Fall" is known for the quality and irony of its prose, its use of primary sources, and its open criticism of Christianity. He was educated at Westminster School. He died of peritonitis in London.