Religion since the Middle Ages: This meme contrasts medieval monotheism with the more flexible religious traditions of classical antiquity, where polytheistic cultures often tolerated, adopted, or equated each other’s gods. Medieval Christianity and Islam emphasized exclusive monotheism—the belief in one true God—which contributed to theological disputes, accusations of heresy, and conflicts such as the Crusades. In the ancient Mediterranean, cultures like Egypt, Greece, and Rome often incorporated foreign deities into their own traditions. The Greeks and Romans even equated similar gods from different cultures, such as identifying foreign deities with Zeus or Jupiter. As Rome expanded, it frequently incorporated local gods and religious practices into the empire. While ancient polytheism often allowed gods to be shared or adapted, medieval monotheism generally placed greater emphasis on exclusive religious truth.(Historic Vids)