Religious and political fragmentation in the late Roman Empire

Dark Ages

Prior to the emergence of the Middle Ages, the Dark Ages or period of Antiquity in the Roman Empire dominated the Western world. From the 3rd to 5th centuries, the Roman Empire was gradually experiencing chaos, being attacked by various tribes and societies from nearby territories outside the Empire. Ultimately, control no longer rested on the Emperor and his government, but solely on the military.

Amid the political and civil strife in the Empire was the emergence and gradual development of various religions in it. Among the leading religions in the Empire was Christianity, which strengthened with the establishment of monasteries, serving both as religious and political forces that directly influence the daily lives of the citizens of the Empire. However, another indicator that the Empire was under its Dark Age was the sudden emergence of other religions as well, brought about by the sudden influx of foreigners or people from other tribes or cultures. Among these religions include Islam, which flourished upon the establishment of the Byzantine Empire, the eastern part of the Roman Empire that broke of from its western part during the said period. The emergence of a new dominant religion under a newly-established faction or empire within the Roman Empire resulted to three new factions: an Empire divided among the Byzantine Empire, Islam society, and the West.