The middle ages, broadly speaking, were a period of reaction. Not that the Roman Empire was a great place to be for the average proleterii, but it was a lot nicer than what came after - and the unified proto-states that emerged from the fuedal system were a lot nicer than what came before. Then colonialism starts, and the whole thing becomes fucked for an entirely new reason.
The middle ages, broadly speaking, were a period of reaction. Not that the Roman Empire was a great place to be for the average proleterii, but it was a lot nicer than what came after - and the unified proto-states that emerged from the fuedal system were a lot nicer than what came before. Then colonialism starts, and the whole thing becomes fucked for an entirely new reason.