... on oratory, and politics, and less on the understanding of the natural world. Although the Romans made little contribution themselves, they produced Latin compilations of many Greek works, which the formed the sole source of knowledge for the scientists of the early Medieval Christian West. During the peace and prosperity of Roman rule, intellect began to blossom in previously backwater areas of Europe. The collapse of the Roman Empire, towards the end of the 5th century, brought science to a standstill. Arab invasions cut Western scholars off from the Greek stores of knowledge, and barbarian invasions threw Europe into chaos. Learning survived only in the monasteries, the symbols of the strengthening religion which would for centuries impede scientific progress. The Middle Ages (476 - 1450), often known as the Dark Ages, was a time of relative stagnation on the scientific front. The Roman Catholic Church reigned supreme in ...

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