The dissolution of the Roman Empire and the end of ancient civilization constitute European history’s most profound crisis. Over the centuries, this crisis has often inspired explanatory attempts and comparisons with more recent times. The essays presented in this volume, written by Alexander Demandt between 1977 and 2011, serve to amplify his comprehensive treatment undertaken in Der Fall Roms. Die Auflösung des römischen Reichs im Urteil der Nachwelt and Die Spätantike. Römische Geschichte von Diocletian bis Justinian.