Santa Reparata International School of Art Academic Year 2017/2018, Fall 2017 Etruscan and Ancient Roman Civilizations prof. Lorenzo Pubblici Ph.D. Midterm Study Guide 1.The Etruscans: Italy 9th-5th centuries BC • The Villanovan civilization: • Early Iron Age, 9th-8th centuries BC, the Villanovan culture characterized all the Tyrrhenian Etruria, Emilia Romagna (particularly the area of Bologna and Rimini), Marche, Campania and Lucania (see map. 1) • Between Tuscany, Latium, Emilia, and some areas of Campania and the Po Valley, the Villanovan settlements are thick: one every 5-15km, on every hill that could be well defended, near water sources, smaller settlements along the coasts and the Apennines mounts. Map. 1 • 9th century: Villanovan settlements are well distributed in Central Italy, homogenous from a material point of view. • Oldest mention of the Villanovan civilization is in Hesiod, Teogonia (8-7th centuries BC): Tutti i popoli illustri della Tirrenia: all the non-Greek peoples of Italy . • Earlier inscriptions show an oriental alphabet, influenced by the Greeks. • A slow, progressive process of consolidation in the Italian Peninsula What we know about the Villanovan and their relation to the Etruscans It’s very hard to name a “civilization”, an ethnic group, the Villanovans, since all we know from them is from archaeological findings, their material culture. • We know that there were local cultures spread in Italy, basically nomads between the bronze (circa BC3500-1200) and the iron age (circa BC12th-8th centuries). • The earlier unions of peoples that we call Villanovan, arise in these centuries. Particularly along the Tuscan coasts, because they were very rich of iron and minerals, in fact the Villanova, such as the early Etruscans, were merchant civilizations. • Populonia, in Tuscany, became a prominent center for copper, silver and iron trade, especially with Magna Grecia, in Southern Italy. • The Villanovans were strongly influenced by the peoples of the Apennines. • 7th century BC: huge expansion of trade, mainly to the Orient, new contacts are created and a Mediterranean commercial system develops. The Early Etruscan settlements emerge around 9th century BC: tendency to abandon the plateaus and move to plains and hills because of two essential reasons: 1. exploitation of the agricultural and mineral resources, 2. proximity of the most important natural communication arteries: rivers, lakes, sea. The Villanovan Society It was a fundamentally egalitarian society, with leaders but only in the later period. • 8th century BC: growing social differences, birth of an aristocracy? Maybe. We don’t know it for sure. • External influences increase: Lazio, Sardinia, Siria, Phoenicia, Egypt. • 9-8th c. BC: this is called the Proto-Etruscan period. • The Etruscan people are a consequence of a continuity with the previous period. • The inhabitants of the villages are spread in groups on plateau easy to defend • The emergence of the Etruscan civilization is strictly tied to the Greek expansion in Southern Italy because that process led to the creation of an exchange market on the scale of the Italian Peninsula. The Etruscan took advantage of it and became skillful traders. The Oriental Period Between the 8th-early 6th centuries BC: • We see the import and imitation of objects coming from the Oriental basin of the Mediterranean. • Late 7th century: the Etruscans are becoming a federation of peoples and cities, they will always be organized like that. • A Common ethnic and cultural identity, common shared historical memory, common political aims, treaties, alliances, domination of the seas. These elements will forge the Etruscan identity. The Etruscans exist because of this process of identity building. • Circa 700, the Etruscan acquire a writing system, probably imported by the Greeks of Euboea , it is a variant of the Greek alphabet: found on the tabula Marsiliana (circa 670BC): ΨΦΧΥΤΣΡϟϺΠΟΞΝΜΛΚΙΘΗΖϜΕΔΓΒΑ ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩ Since the first half of the 7th century: • the Etruscans expand to the Po valley and to Campania, Latium and Umbria. • A confederation of city-states is created and new territories are conquered. • Cities like Pyrgi, Caiatia, Heba, Cesena, Feline, Forcello, Kaituna are founded, many of them are still important Italian cities. • The exchanges with the surrounding Italian/ Greek peoples are peaceful in this period and bring immense profits to both. The Archaic period The apogee of the Etruscan power can be placed between 600-475BC • Already since the 6th century, the enemies emerges • Circa 610-500BC: Etruscan kings achieve to the Roman throne, they will be three in total. • The Etruscan king of Clusium, Porsenna, tried to conquer Rome several times It won’t be successful, but the Etruscan cultural influence on Rome will be immense. The end of the Etruscan kings’ rule on Rome marked a succession of wars in the South • Rome wants to become free from external influences. • The Etruscan hegemony is menaced on the Tiber frontier • 535BC: an Etruscan-Carthaginian league wins the important battle of Alaia (Corsica) , but the Etruscan expansion stopped by the end of the same century and started declining. 2. The importance of Ancient Rome The Ancient World became a Roman World. The ideas, culture and customs of the Mediterranean were welded together into what we call Roman Civilization, so Rome was the connecting link between the Ancient and the Modern World. In other words we may say that Rome was: 1. The highest point of the Ancient World 2. 2. The foundation of the Modern World ! ! ! ! ! ! ! The phases of the Roman history We can see Rome from, at least, four points of view: 1. A great conquering nation 2. 2. A great governing nation 3. 3. A great civilizing nation 4. 4. A great developing nation We must, thus, study the Roman history through its military, institutions, civilization and economy.9 9 The historical periods of the Roman history We can distinguish three main phases of the Roman history: 1. The kingdom: 753-509BC 2. The Republic: 509-31BC 3. The Empire: 31BC-476AD Early Empire: 31BC-284AD Late Empire: 284-476 Western Empire: 395-476 Eastern Empire: 395-1453 9 Everything begun in the Italian Peninsula: The center of the Ancient World. About the foundation of Rome The legend of Aeneas, Amulius, Reha Silvia, Romulus and Remus 753 BC: Romulus founds Rome on the Palatine Hill Romulus passed after 37 years of kingdom He was then venerated as a God with the name of Quirinus. The next kings • Numa Pompilius, a Sabine. Wise and Pious, died after 42 years of peaceful Reign. • Tullus Hostilius, a Roman. Ruthless, against the Religious traditions, conquered the city of Alba Longa. • Ancus Marcius, a Sabine, grandson of Numa. A good king, recorded positively. • Fortified the Janiculum hill and subjugated the Latins. The favorable situation of early Rome The 7 hills of Rome: 1. The geographic position 2. The Tiber 3. The distance to the sea 4. The prominence of the Palatine 9 The Neighbors North-West: Etruria , the land of the Etruscans. South: Latium, the land of the Latins North: Sabinia, the land of the Sabines. The Early Romans The early Romans were Latins who lived on the Palatine hill Were called Ramnes. Their city was enclosed in walls (Roma Quadrata). The Sabini lived on the Quirinal hill The Union between the two peoples and the cult of god Janus. The Luceres on the Caelian hillThe Institutions of Early Rome The Institutions of Early Rome FAMILY, headed by a pater familias, who had 1. Power of life and death over the members 2. Responsibility of the Sacred Fire 3. Responsibility of the Religious CustomsThe family was the smallest group, sacred to the Romans. GENS A bunch of families, welded together by common ancestors and common religion The leader of the gens was called decurius. Performed the religious rites, led the people in war. CURIA Was a very important institution, united by the worshipping of a same deity A bunch of gentes formed the curia The chief of the curia was the curius, magistrate in time of peace, commander in war. A council of elders, comitium. TRIBUS (Tribe) The biggest group, formed by a collection of curiae the chief of the tribe was the rex Religious priest, commander in chief of the army, civil magistrate Council of the elders, and general assembly. 3. From the later kings to the Republic The Etruscan kings Tarquinius Priscus ✓ Drained the city, improved the forum, built a temple to Jupiter on the Capitoline hill Servius Tullius ✓ Said to have been the son of a slave in the royal household ✓ Made Rome the leader of Latium ✓ Enclosed the seven hills within a single wall Tarquinius Superbus ✓ A cruel king, broke the treaty with the Latins and waged war against the Volscians ✓ Driven from the throne by a popular revolt Kingly power The insignia of power Golden crown, ivory scepter, ivory chair, white robe with purple borders, the 12 lictors The Aruspices Soothsayers, replaced in many cases, the Roman augures Public works The Etruscan influence The growth of the City The Servian walls ✓ Was up to 32,8ft in height in places; 12ft wide at its base; 7 miles long ✓It is believed to have had 16 main gates ✓A new temple dedicated to Jupiter Optimus Maximus, on the Capitoline hill was built. ✓Another to Saturn, near the forum Diana, on the Aventine was erected. ✓The cloaca maxima The sewers, under the forum ✓The Circus Maximus The city grew The reorganization of the Kingdom The Patricians ✓ Members of the old families ✓ Were the only ones that could vote in assemblies and chosen in the Senate