The truth of the matter may perhaps never be fully established, but this at least is certain--the tradition in regard to Trotula could never have arisen had not women held a far different position among the Arabians of this period from that accorded them in contemporary Christendom.
III.

MEDIAEVAL SCIENCE IN THE WEST We have previously referred to the influence of the Byzantine civilization in transmitting the learning of antiquity across the abysm of the dark age.

It must be admitted, however, that the importance of that civilization did not extend much beyond the task of the common carrier.

There were no great creative scientists in the later Roman empire of the East any more than in the corresponding empire of the West.

There was, however, one field in which the Byzantine made respectable progress and regarding which their efforts require a few words of special comment.