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Europe as we know it today is not defined by the classical civilizations. They do not constitute an origin that left an indelible mark on the later history. They should rather be seen as multiple sources of a tradition whose developmental path was defined at a later stage in history. The ancient civilizations should be seen in terms of interacting cultures that underwent considerable variation. While the Roman civilization laid the basic structures of a European civilization, it also created a deep division, which ultimately made impossible less a common European civilization than an interconnecting constellation of different societies. Along with Athens and Rome, Jerusalem is another important reference point in the formation phase of the European civilizational constellation. Together these cities and the traditions they established have shaped the European heritage. The Greek, Roman, Christian, Islamic and Judaeo traditions gave a lasting orientation to European civilization, which was never based on one single source. The European heritage has been shaped from a multiplicity of cultures. It was formed through the fusion, interaction and transformation of cultures, since the cultures did not always remain separate but became entangled. The tensions that have been a characteristic feature of Europe have reflected this process of continuous creation.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-95435-6_2

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