The fall of the Roman Empire did not bring progress to a halt; the Islamic civilization flowered between 800 CE and 1100 CE, reviving the Greek work and going beyond it in mathematics, chemistry, and architecture. Just as Islamic civilization began stultifying under the burden of religious conservatism, Christendom picked up the ball and began a long process that led to the Scientific Revolution. The brilliance of this period is not widely appreciated; many people think that the Christian church suppressed all scientific research. In truth, the Church was the patron and driving force behind the crucial intellectual developments; without it, the Scientific Revolution was impossible.