World History

I first learned of it. Don"t know the reason for the requirement to marry a woman from the lower classes. Might have had origins in religious mythology, or might have been a symbol that the emperor was ruler of all the people, or for some other reason. Most cultures, past and present, have customs snd rules to prevent inbreeding. Europeans did, too. The royals and nobles just ignored the rules and got religious dispensations when a marriage between relatives was politically or financially advantageous.