Etruscans An ancient Italian people predating the Romans. Among the older Greek historians there is mention of Tyrrhenoi or Tyrsenoi, and of a king of Lydia named Tyrrhenos who led a Pelasgian colony to Umbria. Roman history describes a mixed population, Etrusci, Tusci, or (by their own name) Rasenna, formed by immigrants from Asia and from over the Alps, still preserving much of their ancient culture amid corrupted habits, and diffusing it to other Italian peoples.

Throughout Roman history Etruria and the Etruscans were looked upon by virtually all classes of peoples under the sway of Rome as being the seat and the exponents of magic, profound mystical thought, and esoteric philosophy; and as the Romans knew much more about those so close to their own time than modern scholarship does, this manner of viewing the ancient Etruscans cannot be set aside lightly.

(See also: Etruscans, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

See also:

Etruscan civilization, Etruscan civilization - Language, Etruscan civilization - Mysterious origins, Etruscan civilization - The first scientific ethnographic study, Etruscan civilization - Eastern Mediterranean combinations, Etruscan civilization - A possible Etruscan sea people, Etruscan civilization - Archaeological possibilities, Etruscan civilization - Etruscan Society, Etruscan civilization - Kinship, Etruscan civilization - Government, Etruscan civilization - Religion, Etruscan civilization - Etruscan heritage at Rome, Etruscan civilization - The Question of the founding population, Etruscan civilization - Foundation of Rome, Etruscan civilization - Populus Romanus, Etruscan civilization - Etruscan architecture, Etruscan civilization - Additional information, Etruscan civilization - Some Etruscan cities, Etruscan civilization - Some Etruscan rulers, Etruscan civilization - Bibliography

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Those who subscribe to an Italic foundation of Rome, followed by an Etruscan invasion, typically speak of an Etruscan “influence” on Roman culture; that is, cultural objects that were adopted at Rome from neighboring Etruria. The prevalent view today is that Rome was founded by Etruscans and merged with Italics later. In that case Etruscan cultural objects are not influences but are a heritage. The main criterion for deciding whether an object originated at Rome and travelled by influence to the Etruscans, or descended to the Roma ...

See also:

Etruscan civilization, Etruscan civilization - Language, Etruscan civilization - Mysterious origins, Etruscan civilization - The first scientific ethnographic study, Etruscan civilization - Eastern Mediterranean combinations, Etruscan civilization - A possible Etruscan sea people, Etruscan civilization - Archaeological possibilities, Etruscan civilization - Etruscan Society, Etruscan civilization - Kinship, Etruscan civilization - Government, Etruscan civilization - Religion, Etruscan civilization - Etruscan heritage at Rome, Etruscan civilization - The Question of the founding population, Etruscan civilization - Foundation of Rome, Etruscan civilization - Populus Romanus, Etruscan civilization - Etruscan architecture, Etruscan civilization - Additional information, Etruscan civilization - Some Etruscan cities, Etruscan civilization - Some Etruscan rulers, Etruscan civilization - Bibliography

Read more here: » Etruscan civilization: Encyclopedia II - Etruscan civilization - Etruscan heritage at Rome

Please remove this notice after the article has been expanded. Details are on this talk page or at Wikipedia:Requests for expansion. The Etruscan civilization flourished in Etruria and the Po valley in the northern part of what is now Italy, prior to the arrival of Gauls in the Po valley and the formation of the Roman Republic. Etruscan culture developed in northern and central Italy after ca 800 BC without a serious break out of the preceding Villanovan culture. The Villanovan culture, the earliest ...

Including:

• Etruscan civilization - Language
• Etruscan civilization - Collapse of Etruscan politics
• Etruscan civilization - Influence
• Etruscan civilization - Some Etruscan cities
• Etruscan civilization - Some Etruscan rulers
• Etruscan civilization - Bibliography

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Raetic or Rhaetic is an obscure language of antiquity, which used to be spoken in the province of Raetia, in the Eastern Alps, to the north and west of Venetic. It is very sparsely attested, leaving room for much speculation on its ancestry, but an affiliation with Etruscan seems most probable. See also. Aegean languages -- The language group to which Raetic belongs. Etruscan civilization Etruscan language Liber Linteus - An Etruscan inscription. < ...

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The Cippus Perusinus or Cippus of Perugia is a stone tablet discovered near Perugia, Italy, in 1822. The tablet bears 46 lines of Etruscan text exquisitely carved into it. Surprisingly well-preserved , the cippus is often assumed to be a text dedicating a legal contract between two Etruscan families; however there is severe doubt about the validity of such a translation when these translated values are carefully cross-referenced with the same words found in other Etruscan texts. Rather, an alternative and more likely view is that this is simply a tombstone for the deceased. The date of the ...

Including:

• Cippus perusinus - Discussion of its translation
• Cippus perusinus - The text

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The Villa Giulia is a magnificent 16th century villa built by Pope Julius II in the city of Rome. Today it is publicly owned, and houses an impressive collection of Etruscan art and artifacts. Properly known as the Villa di Papa Giulio, the villa stands in an area of Rome known as the 'Vigna Vecchia' (which was once against the city walls) lying on the slopes where 'Monte Parioli' descends to the Tiber. The current villa is only a small part of a former property, comprising three vineyards. Here a party villa or 'Villa Suburbana' was built for Pope Julius III, who was an affable, deeply l ...

Including:

• Villa Giulia - The villa
• Villa Giulia - The Etruscan museum
• Villa Giulia - External link

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Cortona (pop. 22,046) is a small town in Tuscany, Italy. It is famous as the base for some scenes in Roberto Benigni's film Life is Beautiful, in Italian La Vita è bella. It is also famous as the setting for the 2004 film Under the Tuscan Sun whose author Frances Mayes maintains a home in Cortona. In 2003, a live concert by André Rieu and his "Johann Strauss Orchestra" in the Piazza Della Republica was filmed and later broadcast in th ...

Including:

• Cortona - History

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Chiusi (Etruscan Clevsin) is a town and comune in Siena province, Tuscany. It was one of the more powerful among the Etruscan 12‑city confederation, and like Cortona just up the Valdichiana, the lowlands around Chiusi are a treasure trove of tombs for this civilization. The Etruscan Museum of Chiusi is one of the most important repositories of Etruscan remains in Italy. Other related archivesCortona, Etruscan, Siena province, Tuscany, comune

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Cerveteri is a small town and comune of the northern Lazio, approximately 60 miles N of Rome, from which it can be reached by rail. Originally known as Caere, it is famous for a number of Etruscan necropoli that include some of the best Etruscan tombs anywhere. Other related archivesCaere, Etruscan, Lazio, comune, necropoli

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In Etruscan mythology, Tarchon and his brother, Tyrrhenus were culture heroes who founded the Etruscan Federation of twelve cities. Ancient/Modern Arretium/Arezzo Caere/Cerveteri Clusium/Chiusi Faesulae/Fiesole Perusia/Perugia Populonia Rusellae/Roselle Tarquinii/Tarquinia-Corneto (named after Tarchon) Vetulonia Volaterrae/Volterra Volsinii/Bolsenae Vulci/Volci In the Aeneid, Tarchon leads the Etruscans in their alliance with Aene ...

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In Etruscan mythology, Voltumna was the chthonic (earth) god, later to become the supreme god. He was the patron of the Etruscan race. His cult was centered in Volsini. He was the equivalent of the Roman Vertumnus. Other related archivesEtruscan mythology, Etruscan race, Roman, Vertumnus

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Velzna was an Etruscan city in central Italy, the last Etruscan city to be taken by the Romans. It was conquered by the Roman consul Marcus Fulvius Flaccus in 264 BC. The Byzantine historian Joannes Zonaras states that after the Roman conquest, the population of Velzna was relocated to a new city, named Volsinii (a Latinization of Velzna), and the original city of Velzna was destroyed. The location of Etruscan Velzna is unknown. The most accepted opinion is that Orvieto is the original Velzna, Volsinii vetus (Old ...

Including:

• Velzna - Roman Volsinii

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Adria is a town in the province of Rovigo in the Veneto region of Northern Italy, situated between the mouths of the rivers Adige and Po. It is the seat of a diocese. The Etruscan city of Atria (or Adria) underlies the modern city, three to four meters below the current level. Atria (or "Hat") gave its name at any early period to the Adriatic Sea, to which it was connected through channels. Atria and Spina were the Etruscan ports and depots for Felsina (Bologna). The Etruscan-controlled area of the Po Valle ...

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Tyrrhenian may refer to the Pelasgians (Sophocles Inachus, fr. 256, Thucydides 4.106) the pre-Greek Lemnians the Etruscans the Tyrrhenian Sea the Tyrrhenian languages or Aegean languages, consisting of the Etruscan language and the Lemnian language Other related archivesAegean languages, Etruscan language, Etruscans, Lemnian language, Lemnians, Pelasgians, Sophocles, Thucydides, Tyrrhenian Sea

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A catamite was the younger partner in a pederastic relationship between two males in the ancient world, especially Ancient Rome. The word is derived from the Latin catamitus, itself borrowed from the Etruscan catmite, a corruption of the Greek Ganymedes, the boy who was seduced by Zeus and became his beloved and cupbearer in Greek mythology. Other related archivesGanymedes, Ancient Rome, Etruscan, Greek, Greek mythology, Latin, Zeus, pederastic

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In Etruscan mythology, Charun was a demon who tortured dead souls in the underworld, as well as the guardian of the entrance to the underworld. He is the Etruscan equivalent of Charon in Greek mythology. He was depicted as having a vulture's nose, pointed ears and wings. He killed people with a hammer. Other related archivesCharon, Etruscan mythology, Greek mythology, demon, hammer, underworld, vulture

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In Etruscan mythology, Artume or Aritimi was the goddess of night, the moon and death, as well as nature, forests and fertility. She was associated with the Greek Artemis. Other related archivesArtemis, Etruscan mythology, Greek, death, fertility, forests, moon, nature, night

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In Etruscan mythology, Culsu was a female demon in the underworld. Her attributes included a torch and scissors. She was associated with gateways. She was often represented next to Culsans. Other related archivesCulsans, Etruscan mythology, demon, gateways, scissors, torch, underworld

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An abecedarium is an inscription consisting of the letters of the alphabet in order. Typically, abecedaria are practice exercises. Some abecedaria include obsolete letters which are not otherwise attested in inscriptions. For example, abecedaria in the Etruscan alphabet from Marsiliana include the letters B, D, and O, which indicate sounds not present in the Etruscan language and are therefore not found in Etruscan inscriptions. At, or near, the beginning of the Christian era, the Latin alphabet had already undergone its ...

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