European Kingdoms

Etruscans
c.800 - 1st Century BC

Etruscan culture flourished in Etruria and the Po valley in northern and central Italy from around 800 BC. It evolved to take over from the previous (and probably related) Villanova Culture. It appears likely that the Etruscans were a pre-Indo European people and were probably indigenous to Italy. They were known in their own language as the 'Rasenna' (or 'rasna'). They were called Etrusci or Tusci by the Romans and Tyrrhenoi by the Greeks. Herodotus claimed they were descended from Lydian colonists who landed in Etruria in the thirteenth century BC (following the collapse of the Hittite Empire, perhaps?).

They dominated Northern Italy until their control over the Latin Romans on their southern border came to an end. Then, between 510-29 BC they were conquered piecemeal by the Romans and other tribal forces which bordered them.

The names of some of the principle city states are shown, with their known rulers, in Etruscan, with the more familiar Latin version of the city's name and its modern equivalent shown in brackets.

c. early 1100s BC

Osiniu

In Clevsin (Clusium, modern Chiusi).

fl c.1100 BC

Mezentius

Lauses

In Caisra (Caere, modern Cerveteri).

Tyrsenos

c.800 BC

Etruscan civilisation begins to flourish and eventually achieves regional dominance in a near-seamless break by which means the previous Villanova Culture is subsumed. The Etruscans also dominate the Marsi.

fl 8th century BC

Velsu

Larthia

In Caisra (Caere, modern Cerveteri).

Arimnestos

In Arimnus.

716 BC

The Etruscans complete their domination of Central Italy by subduing the Latin Romans and founding an Etruscan Kingdom in Rome. The rest of Etruria is dominated by a collection of city states.

c.580 BC

The Etruscans lose control of the Marsi.

fl late 6th C BC

Lars Porsena

In Clevsin (Clusium, modern Chiusi).

c.510 - 490 BC

Thefarie Velianas

In Caisra (Caere, modern Cerveteri).

fl c.500 BC

Aruns

In Clevsin (Clusium, modern Chiusi).

mid-400s - 437 BC

Voluminius

In Veii (18km northwest of Rome).

late 400s - 428 BC

Lars Tolumnius

In Veii.

509 - 29 BC

Etruscan rule of the Latins is ended by an insurrection. The newly-liberated Romans immediately begin to push on Etruscan borders, taking territory in a piecemeal fashion. Etruscan cities are not unified, and often find it hard to support one another, so Rome is able to create treaties with individual Etruscan states. With the fall of Veii to the Romans, a key southern defence is lost, leaving the Etruscans under pressure from all sides by several different forces.

477 BC

Veii and Rome are at war.

428 BC

Veii and Rome are again at war.

396 BC

After a ten year siege, Veii is conquered by Rome.

351 BC

A truce which lasts for forty years is agreed between Tarquinia and Rome.

310 BC

Etruscans allied to the Samnites fight Rome.

308 BC

Tarquinia submits to Rome.

280 BC

Vulci falls to Rome.

273 BC

The first Roman colony is founded in Etruria.

265 - 264 BC

Volsinies, the last independent Etruscan city, falls to Rome and is destroyed.

218 - 202 BC

Etruscan forces fight on the side of Rome in the Second Punic War.

80 BC

The Etruscans gain Roman citizenship.

The last Etruscan inscription is said to have been carved in AD 12, while the last recorded use of the Etruscan language is in AD 410 when Etruscan priests are said to have uttered incantations in Etruscan in order to save Rome from the Goths of Alaric.