Final answer:
The fall of the Roman Empire led to the rise of the Roman Catholic Church as a dominant influence in European culture and society, setting the stage for medieval European culture and reorganizing societal norms around feudalism and Christianity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The fall of the Roman Empire significantly affected European culture by leading to religious authorities having a greater influence. In the absence of a centralized imperial power, the Roman Catholic Church remained strong, preserving much of the Roman culture and language through its liturgies and ceremonies.
During the Middle Ages, political fragmentation led to a social system based on feudalism, with local lords offering protection in return for service, and people rarely traveled farther than ten miles from where they were born. European society reorganized around the Church, which worked to secure military assistance from kings and convert peoples to a recognized form of Christianity, overshadowing other sects such as the Arians. This blend of religious and military culture set the stage for a new civilization known as medieval culture.
Society in western Europe also changed as the spread of Christianity altered the former Roman societal norms with Germanic kingdoms flourishing in the West and the Byzantine Empire attempting to maintain order among an increasing Christian population in the East. The fall of Rome's political unity resulted in a more diverse set of societies rather than a complete destruction, yet this monumental event shifted the balance of power, leading to a more localized and decentralized form of governance.