Similar situation in High Ancient Egypt (before the conquests by the Persians and Macedonians). If you were Egyptian in appearance and culture, you were ok: if you belonged to any other race or nation, you were despised to varying degrees as "one who knew not ma'at." S. M. Stirling has fun with this in the Island in the Sea of Time trilogy, with the unfortunate black American deserter McAndrews, who joins the Egyptian court and is horrified to discover that this "black" ancient civilization despises him as some kind of "Nubian barbarian."