Ancient Man and His First Civilizations

Etruria-2

Modern Italy

The Eurasian Invasion - the Latin's

When last we left Etruria, we were mystified by the Etruscan's policy of not helping each other when faced with a common threat. This incredible policy would of course, have devastating effects. Moving ahead to perhaps 1100 B.C. It is at about this time, that people from the Eurasian plains called "the Latin's" later known as the Romans - migrate in. These Latins may have accompanied the Hellenes into Greece, and then continued on into Italy. The nature of the early contact between the two peoples, is unknown. But, the later relationship is well known to be one of violence.

Soon after the invasion of Whites from Eurasia began, a coalition of the original Black inhabitants of Italy, Greece and the Aegean area, formed a conglomeration called the "Sea People". They boarded ships with all of their belongings and fled the area. But those that stayed behind, still had to deal with the White newcomers.

For more on the Sea People: Click here >>>

Etruscan settlements were frequently built on a hill—the steeper the better—and surrounded by thick walls. So according to Roman mythology, when Romulus and Remus founded Rome (Rome may have actually have been built by Etruscans), they did so on the Palatine Hill according to the Etruscan model: that is, they began with a pomoerium or sacred ditch. Then, they proceeded to the walls.

In time, the Romans had learned how to built cities, now there is great competition for power and territory. Wars rage, but the Etruscan cities fight alone, and the Romans can simply attack and annex each individual city; divide and conquer was the order of the day. This disunity is further illustrated by the fact that the Romans concluded treaties with individual Etruscan city/states, rather than the whole.

But the Etruscans reemerged as a local power during 800 - 700 B.C, spreading their trade to Corsica, Sardinia and Iberia and creating a powerful navy to guard their interests. The Phoenicians and Etruscans became trading partners and rivals, exchanging goods and opportunistic raids with each other. However the situation changed after the "Whites" of Greece, had consolidated power and began to expand into the Western Mediterranean at about 750 B.C.}

In approximately 600 B.C, the Etruscans attacked and occupied the area of Latium and settled themselves in the city of Rome, from here the influence of Etruscan civilization and art made itself felt in the entire Latin sphere.

But their expansion soon collided with that of the Greeks, especially in the sixth century B.C, when Phoceans (Greeks in Italy) founded colonies along the coast of France, Catalonia and Corsica. This led the Etruscans to ally themselves with the Carthaginians (Phoenicians), whose interests also collided with the Greeks.

{Note: The Phoenicians had planted trading posts in Africa, Sicily, Sardinia and Iberia during 1100-900 B.C. while creating their trading monopoly. They had a relatively free hand during that period as other civilizations were suffering from a "Dark Age" during that period because of the invasion of Whites from Eurasia.

In 540 B.C, at the Battle of Alalia; which took place off the coast of Corsica, between Phocaeans and allied Etruscans and Carthaginians. The Punic-Etruscan fleet of 120 ships defeated the Greek force of sixty ships and the nearby colony of Alalia (now Aléria) was taken over by the Etruscans. Corsica was shared by the Carthaginians and Etruscans, and Carthage retained Sardinia.

This led to a new distribution of power in the western Mediterranean Sea. Though the battle had no clear winner, Carthage managed to expand its sphere of influence at the expense of both the Etruscans and the Greeks, and Etruria saw itself relegated to the northern Tyrrhenian Sea. From the first half of the fifth century, the new international political situation meant the beginning of the Etruscan decline after losing their southern provinces.

As Caucasians kept coming in, Rome soon became a large city, similar to the powerful cities of southern Etruria, and it had also become predominately Caucasian. Accordingly, it was a Caucasian uprising that drove the Etruscans from Rome in 509 B.C.

In 480 B.C, Etruria's ally Carthage, was defeated by a coalition of Magna Graecia (the Greek colonized zone encompassing Sicily and Southern Italy) cities led by Syracuse. Later, it was a coalition of Caucasians - Latin’s and the "new" Greeks, that led to the Etruscans' withdrawal from the whole of Latium in 475 B.C.

A year later, in 474 B.C, Syracuse's tyrant Hiero, defeated the Etruscans at the Battle of Cumae. Later, Etruria saw a Gallic (Celtic - see next page for more on the Gauls/Celts) invasion end its influence over the Po valley and the Adriatic coast. Meanwhile, Rome had started annexing Etruscan cities. This first led to the loss of their north provinces.

The Etruscans continued to decline, until finally Etruria was incorporated into Rome. Over time the Etruscans ceased to exist as a separate people, and they along with their culture and technology were totally absorbed into Rome. However, it should be pointed out, that if Etruscan Tomb Paintings are any indication, absorption by the Latin's was not unduly traumatic.

To see Etruscan Tomb Paintings Click Here>>

later history relates that some Etruscans lived in the Tuscus vicus, the “Etruscan quarter”, and that there was an Etruscan line of kings (albeit ones descended from a Greek, Demaratus the Corinthian) which succeeded kings of Latin and Sabine origin.