The Mysterious Etruscans

How much do you know about the Etruscans? Many people, even those who are fascinated by ancient history, are less familiar with this intriguing culture than with the history of Greece and Rome—but the story of the Etruscans is equally captivating and far more important than you may have known. This ancient civilization prospered in the region of modern-day Tuscany, maintaining extensive trade networks, building impressive fortified cities, making exquisite art, and creating a culture that, while deeply connected to the Greeks and Romans, had striking contrasts.

The Etruscans were the original inhabitants of central Italy. Centuries before the rise of Rome, they built cities such as Pompeii, Capua, and Orvieto along fortified hilltops. They developed a system of roads and invented what we call the Roman arch. While they had their own system of government, their own myths and legends, and their own cultural attributes, the Etruscans imported and repurposed much from the Greeks—and, in turn, gave much to the Romans.

Etruscan culture acted as a conduit, transmitting Greek art, mythology, language, and cultural icons to Rome, but it also had many unique elements that the Romans later adopted. You might be surprised to find out how much of Roman civilization—from togas to bronze military armor to Rome itself—actually has Etruscan origins. The Etruscans are largely responsible for:

transmitting the alphabet, and therefore writing, to the Romans and other ancient societies as far away as the Nordic regions
granting Rome much of its celebrated architecture and infrastructure, from the Cloaca Maxima water-control system to the storied arch
developing exquisite works of bronze and terra-cotta, as well as mesmerizing tomb paintings
creating well-known symbols of republican government—imagery that still lives on in U.S. government buildings like the Lincoln Memorial
engaging in sports and spectacles such as chariot racing and gladiatorial combat

Without the Etruscans, much of what we associate with the Roman world, and thus the foundations of Western civilization, would largely disappear. The Mysterious Etruscans is your opportunity to discover this astounding culture and fill in a critical gap in your understanding of the ancient world. Taught by Dr. Steven Tuck, an award-winning Professor of Classics at Miami University, these 24 fascinating lectures give you an inside look into a seldom-studied but vitally important history.

Explore This Culture through Historical Detective Work

Little from Etruscan society remains unchanged, which means that to flesh out more than a bare-bones description, we must rely on deductions from the artworks, records, and tombs that survive. Part Sherlock Holmes, part CSI detective, Professor Tuck compiles the evidence to build the case for who the Etruscans were and what impact they made on the world around them. Over the course of his investigation, he considers questions such as:

Where did the Etruscans come from? Did they migrate to the region from Asia Minor, or were they autochthonous—that is, did they spring up in from the region itself? Consider the evidence from primary sources such as Herodotus and the Aeneid, and compare it to the results of modern DNA research.
What can we deduce from their tombs? Funeral practices are slow to change in any society, and therefore tell us much about how a civilization viewed itself in relation to the cosmos, as well as its cultural beliefs and priorities. Professor Tuck takes you inside the Etruscans’ famous “cities of the dead,” where you’ll discover a great deal about Etruscan culture among the living.
Was Rome actually an Etruscan city? The Etruscans built a number of city-states on fortified hills, much like the geography of Rome. Professor Tuck examines the rulers and customs of Rome, as well as its urban design, to show why it isn’t too far-fetched to suggest that the city actually has Etruscan origins.
Where did the Etruscans go? Because we know the Etruscans are no longer here, we might assume they gradually folded into Roman culture. Take a look at their final years as a distinct culture—and how the Romans appropriated and repurposed much of what was uniquely Etruscan.

Lectures:
TTC3421 S01E01 Between the Greeks and Romans.mp4
TTC3421 S01E02 Lost Cities of Tuscany.mp4
TTC3421 S01E03 Who Founded Rome.mp4
TTC3421 S01E04 Etruscan Cities of the Dead.mp4
TTC3421 S01E05 Etruscan Burial and Mourning.mp4
TTC3421 S01E06 Etruscan Afterlife.mp4
TTC3421 S01E07 Etruscan Gods and Goddesses.mp4
TTC3421 S01E08 Divination - The Will of the Gods.mp4
TTC3421 S01E09 Sanctuaries and Sacred Places.mp4
TTC3421 S01E10 Etruscan Myths, Legends, and Heroes.mp4
TTC3421 S01E11 Greek Myth - Etruscan Tombs and Temples.mp4
TTC3421 S01E12 Greek Myth - Etruscan Homes.mp4
TTC3421 S01E13 Etruscan Language and Literature.mp4
TTC3421 S01E14 Etruscan Government.mp4
TTC3421 S01E15 Etruscan Warriors and Warfare.mp4
TTC3421 S01E16 Mediterranean Artisans and Merchants.mp4
TTC3421 S01E17 Bronze, Terra-Cotta, and Portraiture.mp4
TTC3421 S01E18 Etruscan Sports and Spectacles.mp4
TTC3421 S01E19 The Etruscan Banquet.mp4
TTC3421 S01E20 Etruscan Women.mp4
TTC3421 S01E21 Etruscan Families.mp4
TTC3421 S01E22 The Etruscan World Falls Apart.mp4
TTC3421 S01E23 Etruscan Legacy in the Roman World.mp4
TTC3421 S01E24 Where Have the Etruscans Gone.mp4

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