The Decay Of Ancient Civilization And Mohammed And...

Introduction There have been several, non- definitive reasons attributed to the decline/ fall/ end of antiquity i.e. the Greco- Roman world. The purpose of this essay is to outline the several reasons that led to the decline. The essay attends to two essays, namely The Decay of Ancient Civilization and Mohammed and Charlemagne by Michael Rostovtzeff and Henri Pirenne, respectively to reason the end of antiquity and the beginning of middle ages. The essay is divided into two sections and discusses the reasons provided by Michael Rostovtzeff, followed by the reasons provided by Henri Pirenne. In the process of summarizing, the essay also lays down commonalities between the possible causes as discussed by the two historians and any differences in their reasons. The Decay of Ancient Civilization by Michael Rostovtzeff Michael Rostovtzeff, unlike Pirenne, denies the direct continuation of the Greco-Roman world and discusses several reasons for the above. Rostovtzeff discusses four primary reasons for the fall and decline of antiquity. The four primary reasons are political, social and economic, intellectual, and spiritual. The remaining section on Rostovtzeff will discuss the reasons in detail, which follows: Political: In his discussion of the political reasons behind the decline of the ancient world, Rostovtzeff denies the class war as the only reason for the decline of antiquity. He also negates the idea of a single, better race that over came the Greco-Roman world.