Romans And The Etruscans Essay Research Paper

ROME V. ETRUSCANY

Before the Etruscan s crossed the Tiber river in 750 BC, Rome was described as a loose group or agricultural villages. It was not long before this loose group of villages, with some help from the Etruscan way, was transformed into the world s most dominant city. Many say the Romans conquering success was all the thanks of the Etruscan s, however, the Romans strongly disagree and give them absolutely no credit. This being for it was not the cultural influences of Etruscany which made them such a huge success, yet their never say die attitude which helped them prevail for almost a thousand years.

From the time Etruscany began to expand they were tagged with defeat. As they expanded south from Rome into the Greek city of Cumane they were humiliatingly defeated and never recovered for the next fifty years in the south of Italy. The Etruscans did then move north and rule the northern lands for around a hundred years, however they were again swiftly defeated by wild tribes of Gauls once more adding to their long history of defeat. It can not be argued that the most dominant society and most successful organisation in the world could come from such a long line of degrading and humiliating defeats.

When the Etruscans crossed the Tiber River and entered Rome they did not have anything but invasion on the agenda. It was not the choice of the Romans for the Etruscans to cross the river therefor no acknowledgment is required as the Romans were never given a chance to develop themselves on their own terms. All Etruscan influences were forced on Rome with or without the consent of the roman community. The Etruscans, in the end did give them a city, yet the city and influences that were delivered did not have any significance as to the rule on the world the romans had for a period of almost a thousand years. Consequently the romans owe the Etruscans a city, yet they owe nothing in regards to the success and dominance in which were later experienced.

In the 4th century BC the romans drove out the last Etruscan king. It wasn t until now that the romans really started to show the world their real strength. The Roman Empire expanded into Central Italy and throughout mainland Italy into foreign lands. Later the romans moved south into Greece, the Middle East and Northern Africa. The question which comes after this huge expansion is, was the Etruscans laid back way of life actually holding the romans back? As it becomes more and more obvious that the answer is a possible yes it also becomes more and more obvious that the romans indeed owe nothing to the Etruscans. From the very beginning in the story of Romulus and Remus the romans have been described as ruthless killers with the power to murder even their own brother in the name of success. Can such a desire for dominance and a never say die attitude in which the romans pride themselves of come from the small cultural influence of the Etruscan society, a society which was defeated in both the south and north of Italy? Even today Etruscany (Tuscany) is completely Romanised for that reason it is not the Romans who owe the Etruscans everything but maybe the Etruscans who owe the Romans for sparing their society.

As stated before the romans indeed owe the Etruscans a city yet owe them nothing to their success as their influence did not have any significance in respect to the rule on the world the romans had for almost ten centuries. In the end it was the romans that took over the world not the Etruscans and if this was truly all the teachings and influence of the Etruscan society why did the Etruscan way rule for such little time? Leadership can not come from the teachings of one of life s losers . With strong armies. Battleships and strong leadership, the romans not only drove out all other invaders but conquered all the lands from Britain to the Sahara desert and from Spain to Syria (Pamela Odijk, The Romans p.9). It was the Romans who held the world in their hands, not the Etruscans and for this reason they owe nothing.