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The Lombards and Saxons and Slavs who succeeded the Goths were weak and backward tribes. Under those circumstances it was possible for the bishops of Rome to maintain the independence of their city. Soon the remnants of the empire, scattered throughout the peninsula, recognised the Dukes of Rome (or bishops) as their political and spiritual rulers.
繼任哥特人統治意大利的倫巴德人、撒克遜人和斯拉夫人，他們屬于實力較弱的落后部落。在這種寬松的環境下，羅馬的主教們才得以維持他們城市的獨立。不久，分散在意大利半島的諸多殘余小國便承認羅馬大公（既羅馬主教）為他們政治和精神的領袖。
The stage was set for the appearance of a strong man. He came in the year 590 and his name was Gregory. He belonged to the ruling classes of ancient Rome, and he had been "prefect" or mayor of the city. Then he had become a monk and a bishop and finally, and much against his will,(for he wanted to be a missionary and preach Christianity to the heathen of England,) he had been dragged to the Church of Saint Peter to be made Pope. He ruled only fourteen years but when he died the Christian world of western Europe had officially recognised the bishops of Rome, the Popes, as the head of the entire church.
歷史的舞臺已經準備就緒，期待一位強人的登場了。此人名為格利高里，在公元590年出現于眾人的視野。格利高里屬于舊羅馬的貴族統治階層，曾做過"完美者"，即羅馬市的市長。之后，他做了僧侶，進而成為主教。最后，他本人很不情愿地（因為他本想作一名傳教士，到蠻荒的英格蘭向異教徒傳播基督的福音）他被拉到圣彼得大教堂，加封為教皇。他僅僅在位14年，不過當他死去時，整個西歐的基督教世界都已正式承認羅馬主教，即教皇，為整個基督教會的領袖。
This power, however, did not extend to the east. In Constantinople the Emperors continued the old custom which had recognised the successors of Augustus and Tiberius both as head of the government and as High Priest of the Established Religion. In the year 1453 the eastern Roman Empire was conquered by the Turks. Constantinople was taken, and Constantine Paleologue, the last Roman Emperor, was killed on the steps of the Church of the Holy Sophia.
不過，羅馬教皇的權威未能朝東方擴展。在君士坦丁堡，東羅馬帝國依然延續著羅馬的舊傳統，將奧古斯都和提庇留的繼任者（東羅馬皇帝）視為政府的最高統治者和國教領袖。公元1453年，土耳其人經長期圍困之后攻陷了君士坦丁堡。最后一位東羅馬皇帝康士坦丁·帕利奧洛格在圣索非亞大教堂的臺階上被土耳其士兵殺死。殘存了另外1000年的東羅馬帝國終于覆滅了。
