Post-Roman Europe

Although the Roman Empire did not formally dissolve after the deposition of Romulus Augustulus, imperial control over the West continued to weaken until the western provinces fragmented into de facto independent kingdoms. Modern Europe began to take shape as non-Roman peoples settled in former Roman territory, integrating their cultures with the Empire's. The province of Britannia was invaded by tribes of Angles and Saxons. Hispania was overrun by the Visigoths (eastern Goths) while Flavius Odoacer and his Ostragoths (eastern Goths) took over the province of Italia. The province of Gaul came under the domination of a Germanic tribe called the Franks, and thus became known as Francia. Northern Africa fell under the control of the Vandals. The Gothic, Frankish, and Vandal rulers often paid lip-service to the Roman emperor, but knew very well they could do as they pleased.

Without the communication and unity of the Empire, the Latin language itself dissolved into regional dialects mixed with native languages. In Hispania, Latin slowly evolved into Spanish; in Francia, Latin mixed with Frankish to become French; even the dialect spoken in its homeland became known simply as Italian.

With the sudden decline of Roman power came a gradual decline in Roman identity. As this happened, the dominant cultural force in Europe slowly shifted from the political unity provided by the Empire to the spiritual unity provided by Christianity. In the city of Rome itself, the only real authority remaining was the pope, who gradually became not only the spiritual leader, but the political ruler as well. In the midst of this political disintegration, a massively influential book called The City of God was penned by an African bishop named Saint Augustine. Among many other important ideas, Augustine proposed that a person is not defined primarily by citizenship or political status, but by his or her spiritual identity; this idea laid the groundwork for the modern concept of individual rights.

Large numbers of people abandoned the cities, with many of them seeking peace and quiet in religious communities called monasteries and convents. These soon became the centers of European culture and education, preserving the Latin language, literacy, and ancient Greek and Roman knowledge, while making advancements in philosophy, theology, and music.