Well, you have to look at the bright side. During that period, the old pagan religions were finally snuffed out, we got rid of a lot of witches, built cathedrals, recycled pagan manuscripts into prayer books, and shook off that ridiculous Roman fetish for fresh running water and daily baths. Not a bad time, all things considered.
Especially if you liked Plagues, ignorance, superstition, and a lack of personal hygiene....
Great for Yersinia pestis (used to be Pasteurella pestis and it's friend in grime Rattus rattus, but the name change didn't fool the bug - still endemic in areas of NM and AZ)
We also shook off the organized slaughter of men and animals in the Gladiator contests. In some of these thousands of animals were killed at a time so many that there were shortages. Then there were such nice affairs as the crucifixtion of thousands of slaves after the Spartacus revolt. Rome lived in a river of blood.
The human heart was not civilized under Rome and was more barbaric than anything until HItler. Greece was in a state of collapse because of the weaknesses of its political structure and theory. Other than in Athens there wasn't much to brag about in the rest of Greece. Take that one city out of the picture and there is nothing left to look up to.
Christianity gave the world a chance to humanize itself which would not have happened under paganism which was as supersitious and unthinking as anything which followed it and far more brutal. Read Plutarch for some excellant examples.