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The Etruscans
"Etruscans as a nation were distinguished above all others by their devotion to religious observances."
-- Livy, Founding of the City
The origins of the Etruscans have been debated for more than 2,000 years. Most theories suggest that they were either immigrants to Italy (perhaps from Anatolia, part of modern Turkey) or an indigenous people, heirs of the Villanovan culture that dominated Italy from the 10th to 8th centuries BC. Today, Etruscan culture is known largely from archeological explorations (many of their elaborate tombs were painted and filled with grave goods) and the often hostile writings of Greeks and Romans.
The most important Etruscan cities formed a loose confederation dominated by local oligarchs. The Etruscans were Rome's military rivals, but they also greatly influenced Roman culture (particularly its architecture, art, and religion). They lost their political independence to Rome by the 3rd century BC, and their culture had largely disappeared by the 1st century BC.
Beginning in the 7th century BC, Etruscan artists were heavily influenced by Greek art, which they directly encountered in South Italy. Etruscan art, however, tends to be more stylized than Greek art and, at its best, displays an exuberance and liveliness often absent from both Greek and Roman art. Etruscan bronzes were widely admired and exported throughout the ancient world. |