Collapse of Civilizations - A Conceptual Analysis Based on the Example of the Imperium Romanum Zusammenbruch von Zivilisationen: Eine konzeptuelle Analyse am Beispiel des Imperium Romanum

The fall of the Roman Empire is the classic example of a collapse of a complex society. The Western perception of "collapse" is in large part shaped by the Roman experience. There have been historical cycles of explanation for this collapse depending on actual perceptions of imminent dangers. Some of the present explanations are critically assessed. In the end, the article asks what the concepts of "collapse" or "ruin" mean, and what the subjects of collapse are. In human societies "actors" and cultural "strategies" can be distinguished, and both can be subjected to ruin. However, it is not necessarily the case that both are ruined simultaneously. Ruin and strategic adaptation to new conditions are two different outcomes of social crises.