celebration

This sounds unpleasant. Gibbon:

“The restoration of Chosroes was celebrated with feasts and executions; and the music of the royal banquet was often disturbed by the groans of dying or mutilated criminals.”

On the bright side, Gibbon finally succeeds in Chapter XLVI in making Persia as interesting as we all know it is. He’s really warming to the topic more than halfway through his history. Perhaps this is just anticipatory enthusiasm for his coming treatment of the rise of Islam, a theme he tackles with renowned gusto.