Monday, September 15, 2014
“Etruscan Rule” at Rome and Brutus’ Revolution!
Terms
- Tarquin the First:!
- Tanaquil:!
- Tarquin the Proud (“Superbus”):!
- Servius Tullius:!
- Brutus:!
- Valerius Publicola:!
- Rape of Lucretia:!
- Interregnum:!
The Etruscans and Etruscan Tarquinia
- Etruscans are one of many peoples in Iron Age Italy - it was diverse in a linguistic
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standpoint.!
Latin was a very small sliver of languages spoken in Iron Age Italy.!
The landscape of Etruria — essentially modern-day Tuscany. !
There were twelve Etruscan city-states — also the reason why there were twelve
lictors.!
Problem of Etruscan language: written retrograde (right to left). Also there are not
many long texts (only about four or five), but rather short one-lined texts. !
We do not have any Etruscan literature.!
Etruscan language is not Indo-European, although it did emerge with the same
alphabet as the Greek language around the 750s BC.!
Etruscans possibly came from the East (Lydia) according to Herodotus.!
Dionysus of Halicarnassus claims that the Etruscans were native peoples of Italy. !
Certain people were translating Etruscan texts to Latin especially in the early Empire
under Claudius.!
Most of what we can construct about the Etruscans is through archaeology.!
The Palace at Murlo: 3K square feet with a central courtyard, and tiled with
iconography depicted elite culture (banqueting, games, etc)!
• Shows a warrior-aristocracy. Also suggests that there were kings. !
• Very similar to Greek society in the eighth century BCE.!
• Clearly the home of someone who wants to display their wealth and aristocratic
standing.!
Most Etruscan wealth was spent on necropolises. Tombs were elaborately decorated. !
Etruscans known for their metal-work.!
Also in Etruscan tombs, Greek vases were often found. This demonstrates that the
Etruscans had connections with and consumers of Greek culture.!
Attic vases were so popular in Etruscan culture that there were actually Etruscan
imitations.!
Basis of Etruscan wealth: warfare and heavy trade with the East!
• Etruscans most likely sending metal Eastward !
Monday, September 15, 2014
• Also colonizing areas in North Africa.!
- African Connection: Pyrgi Tablets!
• In 1964, three tablets were found.!
• They were found on the Tyrrhenian coast of Italy!
• A dedication made around 500 BCE by Thefarie Veliana, king of Crete to the
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Phoenician goddess Ashtaret (a fertility goddess).!
• Pyrgi was the port of the southern Etruscan town of Caere!
• Two of the tablets are inscribed in the Etruscan language, the third in Phoenician. !
• shows an idea of pluralism - part of a common culture!
The “Ara della Regina” of Tarquinia!
• Etruscan religious structure!
• largest Etruscan temple still surviving !
• most recent work suggests that the earliest form of worship involved human
sacrifice!
• Etruscans considered extremely religious in the ancient world.!
• Etruscans known for their omen reading, rather than building worship.!
• Possibly inspired by Greek architecture but is distinctly Etruscan!
• Was mostly made of wood and terracotta.!
• It was through this interpretation that Rome started its own architecture. !
Cuniculi: predecessors to Roman aqueducts. !
Tarquinia: burial practices different - underground chambers rather than mounds.!
• What we know most about Tarquinian culture comes from paintings found inside
tombs.!
• Depicts aristocratic culture similar to Greece - symposiums, athletic games, etc.!
Etruscan Rome: Rome in the Sixth Century
- Rome open to the idea that a foreigner could become a king.!
• Reason why Tarquin I is attracted to Rome!
• Is originally from Corinth — shows a contact with Rome and Greece!
- City that the Tarquins created was remarkable.!
- Tarquin first set to work encircling the city with a stone wall, drained the lowest parts
of the city (created sewers), created the Circus, etc.!
- It seemed that many of these things actually did date back to the sixth century BC.!
- Some sewers still in use in Rome today.!
- Debate over whether or not Tarquin actually created the Circus. !
• Brought over the Etruscan activity of chariot racing!
- Most impressive thing he had done was creating the Forum. — Burials in the Forum
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stopped in the mid-sixth century.!
• Six metres of fill dumped in the Forum to level it out!
• New buildings erected around the Forum!
- Includes the Regia — King of Sacrifices held residence here in the Republic. The
name suggests a relationship with a king (rex, regis)!
Works of a “Rex” in the Forum: On a column in a sanctuary under the black stone
monument dates to 525 BC.!
Monday, September 15, 2014
• Most important word is ‘recei’ which is probably really rex!
• Rome had some figure whom they called a king in the 6th century BC who
reorganized the entire centre of the city !
The Late Monarchy: Who were the Tarquins? Who was Servius Tullius?
- Reigns of the last three Roman kings were essentially hereditary. !
- Both Tarquins are either father/son or grandfather/grandson.!
- Worked for their own interests rather than the interests of the people.!
- Tarquins not only ruling Rome, but are getting tribute from the Etruscans.!
- Servius Tullius!
• Servius a slave-king!
• Odd since he dictated the class structure via the Census!
• Adopted by the royal family!
• Livy alludes that if Servius had not been killed, he could have founded the
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Republic.!
The Lyon Tablet and the Emperor Claudius: Rome came from a long tradition of
allowing people of different societies into their own.!
• His mother was a prisoner of war (Roman tradition) or he had been the faithful
companion of Caelius Vivenna (who the Caelien hill was named after), and his
original name was Mastarna (Etruscan tradition) !
- Alternate story that he came to Rome and defeated Tarquin I!
- shows extreme fluidity in events and tradition!
The Revolution of Brutus: A Real Turning Point
- Monarchy ends and Republic begins mostly due to the rape of Lucretia — this could
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have been a tipping point!
• Rape a violation of the family unit!
Capitoline Temple built in 509 BC and initiates the beginning of the Republic!
509 BC: A certain point of change?!
• “The history of a free nation in peace and war will be the theme from this point on,
the election of annual magistrates and greater obedience to the commands of law
than to those of men.” (Livy 2.1)!
- Direct knock and Tarquin and tyrannical governments. !
• Tarquin not killed, but rather exiled.!
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