Collapse

Barrett: The Collapse of Iraq and Syria
Figure 2. Map of Syria. Source: CIA World
Alexander the Great, the Romans, the Parthians, and others) ruled the
region. All of these empires had two things in common. First, when in control
of the region or part of it, the more successful empires basically sought
allegiance or at least quiescence to their rule in return for a level of noninterference
in their affairs in the individual communities that reside there.
In other words, local morays and traditions were in most cases largely left
alone to develop and function with their own particular tradition as long
as they did not threaten stability or security. For the most part, ruled and
rulers sought an accommodation as the more practical approach that avoided
the often calamitous costs of resistance, revolt, and re-conquest. This meant
the heterogeneous nature of the region was fostered at every level—diversity
under an umbrella of political authority.
Second, as the fortunes of the various empires ebbed and flowed, the
region became a battlefield—a ‘march’ between imperial powers seeking to
extend their control. This further reinforced the impetuous toward diversity.
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