How did the medievals and Romans rationalize the need for crop rotation? Did any societies fail or de-urbanize from not rotating crops? | AskHistorians Archive Observer

How did the medievals and Romans rationalize the need for crop rotation? Did any societies fail or de-urbanize from not rotating crops?

by karmadon

I mean, not just "crops grow worse when we don't do this," but if they had some explanation for it.

RabidHaggis

To piggyback off of this: could anyone explain or link to an explanation of crop rotation for those of us who don't understand it?