Introduction
After the destruction of the Roman Empire, the church became on of the foundations of civilization. During the time of Gregory I the Great (590-694), the medieval papacy started exerting its power. Gregory’s accomplishment was to assert its authority and establish the temporal papal power. Gregory was a Roman aristocrat by birth and he witnessed the destruction of Rome. Gregory concluded that the world was coming to an end and therefore withdrew from it in order to become a Benedictine monk. Gregory was elected Pope in 590 and took the role of protecting Rome and the surrounding territory from the ...
