The early medieval period, stretching roughly from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century to the early 9th century, marks a transformative chapter in the history of Western thought. It was a time when the classical world gave way to new intellectual paradigms shaped by the rise of Christianity. This period witnessed the development of Christian theology and philosophy, which would go on to influence the course of Western civilization for centuries. At the heart of this intellectual revolution stood figures such as Augustine of Hippo, Boethius, Gregory the Great, Jerome, and John Chrysostom, each of whom contributed to the formation of Christian doctrine, ethics, and metaphysical ideas that would endure through the Middle Ages and beyond.