How was Medieval Europe Different from the Europe of the Roman Empire?

Answer 1

In medieval Europe, especially just following the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century, there was a very weak infrastructure.

Over time the engineering achievements of the Romans (roads, aqueducts, even bathing facilities) fell into disrepair, and the decentralization of government led to the rise of many small kingdoms and principalities. This, in turn, made Europe more vulnerable to the invasions of such groups as the Huns and the Vikings.

The standard of living declined, as did those of municipal (and personal!) cleanliness and sanitation; the only thing that came close to uniting Europe was Christianity, and even that wasn't much help because there was a great deal of conflict between those who felt that they should govern both spiritually and temporally and those who felt that the secular power should also rule over the spiritual realm.

Answer 2

The Roman Empire would've been MUCH better off without christianity. Late in the second century, Celsus, a pagan thinker, warned that christianity was not only stupid but dangerous. And he was ultimately proven right. As long as the Empire remained pagan, it was strong and resilient. Not even te horrific mid third century crises broke the Empire. On the contrary, it revived under Aurelian and Diocletian. At the time it was still pagan. As Celsus noted, the pagan gods were the foundation of the society he loved. Without them i.e. under christianity, there was a whole new milieu. The christianized masses could no longer relate the classical milieu and its key manifestation, the Roman empire. They were not against Rome--at least not openly--but they did little to save it. It is true that the eastern Empire eventually won the support of the christian population, but the western just didn't, in the time it had. Which wasn't great, for it was the key target or destination of the barbarians. The weakening of Empire due to christianity was devastating for the West. Without citizen recruits or enough of them, it had to hire unreliable barbarians which it couldn't always control, as they took over the west for themselves.

Answer 3

Medieval Europe was comprised of more than one kingdom, and did not have the same governments as Rome
They had little technology that the Romans had

Answer 4

Sadistic but nothing compared to the Roman Empire.