▁Roman ▁general ▁Pom pe y ▁conquer ed ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁The ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁un ited ▁the ▁region ▁with ▁most ▁of ▁Europe ▁and ▁North ▁Africa ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁political ▁and ▁economic ▁unit . ▁Even ▁areas ▁not ▁directly ▁an nex ed ▁were ▁strongly ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁Empire , ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁powerful ▁political ▁and ▁cultural ▁entity ▁for ▁centuries . ▁Though ▁Roman ▁culture ▁spread ▁across ▁the ▁region , ▁the ▁Greek ▁culture ▁and ▁language ▁first ▁established ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁by ▁the ▁Mac ed onian ▁Empire ▁continued ▁to ▁domin ate ▁throughout ▁the ▁Roman ▁period . ▁C ities ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁especially ▁Alexand ria , ▁became ▁major ▁urban ▁cent ers ▁for ▁the ▁Empire ▁and ▁the ▁region ▁became ▁the ▁Empire ' s ▁" b read ▁basket " ▁as ▁the ▁key ▁agricult ural ▁producer . ▁ Æ gypt us ▁was ▁by ▁far ▁the ▁most ▁wealth y ▁Roman ▁province . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁Christian ▁religion ▁spread ▁throughout ▁the ▁Roman ▁and ▁Pers ian ▁Emp ires , ▁it ▁took ▁root ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁and ▁cities ▁such ▁as ▁Alexand ria ▁and ▁Ed essa ▁became ▁important ▁cent ers ▁of ▁Christian ▁scholar ship . ▁By ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁century , ▁Christian ity ▁was ▁the ▁dominant ▁religion ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁with ▁other ▁faith s ▁( grad ually ▁including ▁her et ical ▁Christian ▁sect s ) ▁being ▁act ively ▁repr essed . ▁The ▁Middle ▁East ' s ▁t ies ▁to ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Rome ▁were ▁gradually ▁sever ed ▁as ▁the ▁Empire ▁split ▁into ▁East ▁and ▁West , ▁with