Changes

Multicultural societies have existed for millennia. However, how societies have adapted to multicultural realities has varied across time. In particular, the key shift we see in history is societies emphasizing one vs. multiple identities. However, rather than emphasizing one cultural unity, a celebration of diversity allowed states to begin to integrate very different populations, while practically sealing bonds through new economic links and incentives. Common languages soon rose that allowed the spread and continuity of a multicultural Near East. We see this emphasis happening most profoundly starting during the Achaemenid period, with this pattern mostly continuing in the Near East long after the fall of particular states, including the Hellenistic and later Roman and Byzantine states. The continuity of large empires in the Near East may reflect that social integration was relatively successful for many periods. In essence, populations saw the benefits of societies that were integrated while also maintaining their ethnic identities, where trade and economic benefits and linguistic commonality facilitated large, multicultural statesto emerge and persist long after any particular state fell.