‭Sarker‬‭1‬

‭CL 100 - Archaeology and Rediscovery of the Classical World‬

‭Instructor Name: Alessandro Sebastiani‬

‭Person ID Number: 50560197‬

‭Student Name: Ahad Sarker‬

‭Chosen Reference System: MLA Format‬

‭The Influence of Etruscan Civilization into Early Rome‬

‭The Etruscan society which dominated central Italy well before Rome, consisted of‬

‭most of the cultural, religious, and architectural features of Roman society. Between the 9th‬

‭and 1st centuries BCE, the Etruscans established a society of social institutions, complex‬

‭religious practices, and high art, which was later taken by Rome and shaped Roman society.‬

‭The Dodecapoli – a network of Etruscan city-states and their role in Mediterranean‬

‭commerce, not to mention their elaborate religious practices such as augury and haruspicy,‬

‭which Rome later adopted. We can see their impact on Rome and the West in the ways we‬

‭understand from the Etruscan settlement patterns, burial rituals, and art. We can also figure‬

‭out the main role of Etruscan culture in the construction of ancient Italy. This essay studies‬

‭how the Etruscans came to be, their history, and why they were so influential across the‬

‭ancient world.‬

‭The evolution of the Etruscan civilization and the beginnings of the Etruscan is a‬

‭very important topic that needs to be studied thoroughly. Historians proposed a wide range of‬

‭explanations such as, whether the Etruscans had come from Asia Minor, were settlers in Italy,‬

‭or were displaced by the Greek Pelasgians. The Greek historian Herodotus argued for a‬

‭hypothesis of migrants from Lydia in Asia Minor, proposing that due to economic hardship,‬

‭some of the residents of Lydia should migrate to new lands, so they eventually settled in Italy‬
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‭(Nowlin). On the other side, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, another historian who is interested‬

‭in Roman native heritage, suggested that Etruscans were Italian natives and that their culture‬

‭had developed by itself.‬

‭Modern archaeological data argues in favor of a combination of these theories.‬

‭Material culture, language, and genetic data point to the Etruscan's emergence from‬

‭Villanovan culture, an early Iron Age society in Italy. The Villanovans who had lived in the‬

‭area from the 9th century BCE, practiced cremation and burial customs with the same ritual‬

‭that would characterize Etruscan funerary customs. The Etruscan culture was also formed‬

‭through commerce and cultural exchange with local societies, such as Greek colonies, mixing‬

‭Italian neighborhoods with foreign families (‬‭Caccioli,‬‭D. A)‬‭. This study confirms the idea‬

‭that the Etruscans were influenced by other cultures but their civilization was inseparable‬

‭from Italy’s indigenous inhabitants.‬

‭Etruscan civilization started as rural communities and evolved into a network of‬

‭urbanized city-states. This is clearly evident in the transition from the Villanovan era into the‬

‭8th century BCE when Etruscan city-states had been settled. Important cities such as Veii,‬

‭Tarquinia, Vulci, and Cerveteri grew into bigger urban centers with distinctive social‬

‭hierarchies and economies (Waltari, M.). Each city was distinct but connected by a common‬

‭language, culture, and artistic aesthetic that became a larger Etruscan identity.‬

‭The Etruscans set up a confederation of city-states called the Dodecapoli, the League‬

‭of Twelve Cities. This league was a bunch of disorganized city-states that retained‬

‭independence but cooperated on matters of common interest. This included commercial‬

‭activities and common religious beliefs. Each city stood on its own but worked to support‬

‭each other in ways that all could enjoy. In these cities, politicians could be found in the hands‬

‭of noble families who controlled substantial resources. These families held a crucial civic and‬

‭religious power and determined the character of each city. The leaders of Etruscan cities,‬
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‭rather than electing them like Greek city-states, were usually chosen from the higher power‬

‭and elected with a mixture of powers, combining the beliefs and religious roles of the king‬

‭(Turfa, J. M.).‬

‭Agriculture, commerce, and artisanal skills ensured the success of Etruscan society.‬

‭They were renowned for metalwork and pottery production, producing bronze artifacts,‬

‭pottery, and jewelry. These products were much appreciated, not only in Etruscan society but‬

‭also by their neighbors, the Greeks and Phoenicians. Furthermore, Etruscans could also be‬

‭linked to other societies across the Mediterranean by exporting and importing exotic products‬

‭and introducing exotic cultures to influence Etruscan culture. Greek influence, moreover, had‬

‭a lasting impression on Etruscan culture, art, architecture, and practices. These connections‬

‭with other Mediterranean cultures played a crucial role in Etruscan identity, which merged its‬

‭own Italic tradition with elements from Greek, Phoenician, and Mediterranean cultures.‬

‭Religion was at the heart of Etruscan society, and it was a very important factor in‬

‭everyone’s life, from politics to everyday life. Etruscan gods and goddesses populated the‬

‭pantheon, many of them models for Greek gods but also possessing distinct Etruscan traits‬

‭and names. Tin, the leader of the gods, for example, was like the Greek Zeus and Tin’s wife‬

‭Uni was like Hera. Unlike the Greek and Roman gods, Etruscan gods were often seen as both‬

‭kind and unforgiving, who always required‬‭regular‬‭appeasement through ritual and sacrifice.‬

‭The practices‬‭of divination, particularly augury,‬‭and haruspicy were crucial‬‭to the Etruscan‬

‭religion. Such rituals thought to communicate the will of the gods, were a central part of‬

‭decision-making from city planning to war expeditions (‬‭Nowlin, J.‬‭). These divination‬

‭techniques were later adopted by the Romans, who used them in their religion. Haruspices,‬

‭liver diviners, remained central to the Roman religious practices, acknowledging the‬

‭importance of Etruscan rituals in Rome’s spiritual life.‬

‭The Etruscan temples, built in the Tuscanic tradition, further show the unique nature‬

‭of the civilization’s worship. Although Greek temples were usually seen as homes for the‬

‭gods, Etruscan temples were meant to be a place of public ritual. These buildings were‬

‭generally nicely decorated with painted terracotta plaques and figures of mythological‬

‭creatures. The temples were seen as religious institutions, reflecting Etruscan crafts and‬

‭devotion to the worship of their gods. Etruscan architectural styles and temple layouts‬

‭inspired Roman temple construction, and many of the early Roman temples, including the‬

‭Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, display Etruscan elements (Turfa, J. M., Gleba, M., &‬

‭Becker, H.).‬

‭Etruscans had very complex beliefs about death and the afterlife, which shows in‬

‭their elaborate burial practices. They built large cemeteries (necropolei) containing a variety‬

‭of graves. These tombs took many forms, from simple pit burials to underfloor chambers.‬

‭The most popular were the tumuli or mound tombs. They were large, dome-shaped tombs‬

‭where entire families were buried, with generations of their kin all buried in the same‬

‭memorial. These monumental mound tombs confirmed the value of family life in Etruscan‬

‭society and expressed the belief that family relationships extended beyond the grave. Another‬

‭impressive tomb was the tholos, an elevated, circle-shaped tomb. The tholos demanded high‬

‭architectural knowledge, demonstrating the Etruscan artistry and respect for the dead. These‬

‭tombs reveal that Etruscans valued a fancy afterlife. They filled these tombs with anything‬

‭that would go with the dead – jewelry, pottery, weapons, and even everyday objects that the‬

‭dead would need in the afterlife. As evidence of their belief in a lavish afterlife, the Etruscans‬

‭embodied their belief in both the dead and the possibility of the next life after the grave‬

‭(Spivey, N. J.).‬

‭Sarcophagi and other funerary artifacts from these tombs reflected Etruscan ideas of‬

‭the afterlife. Many sarcophagi showed couples in bed, an artifact that shows the value of‬
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‭family even when they die. There are paintings on the walls of some tombs of scenes from‬

‭the hereafter, where people travel through Hades or are welcomed by demons, such as‬

‭Charun, who looks like the Greek Charon who carried souls to hell. These types of images‬

‭suggest that the Etruscans viewed death as a continuation of the mortal world, in which the‬

‭dead would‬‭maintain their social roles and relationships‬‭even in the afterlife.‬‭Romans later‬

‭adopted these afterlife views, mixing Etruscan burial practices with their own (‬‭Magnan, O.‬‭).‬

‭It was the Etruscans themselves who also published sacred books like‬‭The‬

‭Acheruntici‬‭, which set out their ideas of the afterlife‬‭and the path of the soul. These writings‬

‭provided a structure for Etruscan rituals of death and burial, teaching the living how to‬

‭respect the dead and make sure they will go to heaven in peace. These works inspired Roman‬

‭funerary practices, as demonstrated in Roman rituals designed to honor their dead ancestors‬

‭and care for them in the afterlife.‬

‭The Etruscan empire started to collapse in the 5th century BCE, as the Roman‬

‭Republic began to expand across the Italian peninsula. Eventually, over a number of‬

‭centuries, the Romans gradually conquered Etruscan provinces and integrated them into the‬

‭Roman Republic through military conquests and political alliances. The Etruscan city of Veii‬

‭was a major center of trade, and after a long and difficult period, it was surrendered to Rome‬

‭in 396 BCE. Other Etruscan cities, including Tarquinia and Vulci, lost their right to the‬

‭Roman empire.‬

‭Although the Etruscans were removed from their power and rights, their civilization‬

‭left a very big impact on shaping Roman society. Many aspects of Roman culture, both‬

‭religious and architectural, were directly shaped by Etruscan customs. Romans, for example,‬

‭took up some Etruscan religious practices, including augury, a way of divining the will of the‬

‭gods through bird flight, and haruspicy, the divination of the guts of killed animals. These‬

‭rituals became a part of the official religious life of the Roman state. The Etruscan‬
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‭architecture had an important influence on early Roman development. The significance of‬

‭Etruscans’ influence is Rome’s Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, which embraced‬

‭characteristics of Etruscan design. This mixture of Etruscan and Roman styles in both‬

‭religion and architecture helped to lay the basis for Roman cultural identity. Etruscan‬

‭influence was felt long even after the rise of Rome. During the Renaissance, Tuscan scholars‬

‭and artists, looked back at Etruscan history and culture with renewed interest.‬
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‭Works Cited‬

‭Caccioli, D. A. (2009).‬‭The Villanovan, Etruscan,‬‭and Hellenistic collections in the Detroit‬

‭Institute of Arts‬‭. Brill.‬

‭Izzo, H. (2019).‬‭Tuscan and Etruscan : The problem‬‭of linguistic substratum influence in‬

‭central Italy‬‭. University of Toronto Press,.‬‭https://doi.org/10.3138/9781487599867‬

‭Magnan, O. (2009). The Meaning of the Afterlife in the Etruscan Tomb Paintings of‬

‭Tarquinia.‬‭Ultimate Reality and Meaning‬‭,‬‭32‬‭(2-3–4),‬‭157–170.‬

‭https://doi.org/10.3138/uram.32.2-3-4.157‬

‭Nowlin, J. (2021).‬‭Etruscan orientalization‬‭. Brill.‬

‭Spivey, N. J. (1997).‬‭Etruscan art‬‭. Thames and Hudson.‬

‭Turfa, J. M., Gleba, M., & Becker, H. (2009).‬‭Votives,‬‭places, and rituals in Etruscan‬

‭religion : studies in honor of Jean MacIntosh Turfa‬‭(1st ed.). Brill.‬

‭Turfa, J. M. (2013).‬‭The Etruscan world‬‭(1st ed.).‬‭Routledge.‬

‭https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203526965‬

‭Waltari, M. (2016).‬‭The Etruscan‬‭. Pickle Partners‬‭Publishing.‬

‭Final word count - 1771‬