This is actually a good point that I never considered. I'm trying to think of a historical counterpoint, but the best I can come up with is the pseudo-middle c

This is actually a good point that I never considered. I'm trying to think of a historical counterpoint, but the best I can come up with is the pseudo-middle class of ancient Greece. All the other long-term civilizations seem to have been composed of a royalty-level class and everyone else, from ancient Egypt through Rome and the Middle Ages.