Figure 1.--The Etruscans left beautifully painted tombs. Thus we have fascinting images of these enigmatic people. Here we see a youthful musician. It is a fresco from an Etruscan tomb found in Tarquinia (5th century BC).

The Italian Peninsula in the 1st millenium BC was inhabited by many varied people. As a result the history of pre-Roman Italy is complicated. The basis for the regionalism of modern Italy is the ethnic and cultural diversity of pre-Roman Italy. Urban socities appeared on the peninsula (7th cenury BC). One culture were the Latins among which Rome was only one of the developing city states. The most important Iron Age people on the Italian peninsula were the Villanovan culture out of which the Etruscans developed. The most notable pre-Roman culture in Italy itself was the Etruscans which dominated central Italy. The Etrusans are not a very well known people, but Rome itself was essentially built on an Etrusan base. Historians disagree as to the origins of the Etruscans. They developed out of settlement in Etruia and Campania. There was no centralized Etruscan state which is one reason they could not resist Roman incursions. The Estrucans were a group of culturally related city states. Modern Bologna is one of the Estruscan city states. They were innovative builders and Roman architecture has Etruscan roots (stone arches, paving, aqueducts, and sewers). Urban society also appeared in southern Italy (6th century). Historians report true cities appearing (4th cenyury BC). Appenine Italy continued as a largely nonurban culture. [Flower] The Greeks had established several colonies, mostly in the south and on Sicily. The Celts (Gauls) dominated much of Europe. They had pushed beyond the Pyrenees into Spain and were pushing through the Alps into northern Italy where they would pose a major challenge to Rome.

Many Small Groups

The geography of Italy played a major role in the development of relsatively small cultural groups. The Italian peninsula is composed of rugged hills and mountains and until one reaches the nort, short relsatively swift flowing rivers which separated peope rather than providing means of exchsange and commerce. This created an enviroiment which essentially divided people. Thus until the first millennium, small groups developed in relative isolstion. Thus the peninsula had many small groups with destincive cultures. This includes the Nuraghics (Sardininisa), Sabines, Samnites (Etruscans), and many others.

The Sabines (5th-3rd centiuris BC)

The Sabines were an ancient Italic tribe located in the mountainous country east of the Tiber River, meaning east of Rome. They were known for their religious practices and beliefs. hey are believed to have influenced Rome at its early developmental phase. Some Roman institutions were said to have originiated with them. All we know about them comes from Greek and Roman sources. It is not clear, however, ho much of hat is legend and how much is actualy history. Plutarch writes that Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, invited the Sabines to a feast and then carried off (meaning raped) their women. While this is legendary, the Sabines must have interacted with the Romans from the city's earlies days. There is a legend thst the Sabines conquered the city (early 5th century BC). This seems likely. There must hsve been many confrontations before the Romans gained a substantial victory (449 BC). At that point they virtually disappear from history. Roman historians subsequently report that the Sabines were conquered, but granted civitas (sine suffragio) (290 BC). They were granted received full Roman citizenship (268 BC). The Sabines probably spoke Oscan. No inscription of any kind has survived of their dialect. Quite a number of words have been attributed to them by Latin writers. The Romans blieve that the Sabines were probably the origin of the Samnite tribes that opposed the Romans for several centuries souuth of Rome. Many classical scholars believe thst it is creditable.

Etruscans

The most important Iron Age people on the Italian peninsula were the Villanovan culture out of which the Etruscans developed. The most notable pre-Roman culture in Italy itself was the Etruscans which dominated central Italy. The Etrusans are not a very well known people, but Rome itself was essentially built on an Etrusan base. Historians disagree as to the origins of the Etruscans. The origins of the Etruscans have been a subject of discussion since the most ancient times. The Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC, upheld the theory that they came by sea from Lydia, a region in Asia Minor. According to other historians of the classical age, the Etruscans were believed to be a population of Italic origin, who had lived in the peninsula since remote times. However, the theory that has emerged in modern historiography is that of groups from the eastern Mediterranean, who brought with them a technically and culturally advanced society and who mixed with the resident Italic population around the 10th century BC, giving rise to a new civilization. The men�s clothing in ancient times was a loincloth. Women, and men in more recent times, wore a tunic. Slave are often depicted without any clothing. They developed out of settlement in Etruia and Campania. There was no centralized Etruscan state which is one reason they could not resist Roman incursions. The Estrucans were a group of culturally related city states. Modern Bologna is one of the Estruscan city states. They were innovative builders and Roman architecture has Etruscan roots (stone arches, paving, aqueducts, and sewers). Rome derived more than arcitecture from the Etruscans. Etruscan actors staged the first theatrical performance in Rome (365 BC). The first Samnite War was fought (343-41 BC). The second Samnite War was fought 327-04). The Third Samnite War was fought (298-290 BC) Tthis leaves the Etruscans completely subjected to Rome.

Latins

One of the many Italian cultures were the Latin people of central Italy. Various city states developed in Latium. This was the culture from which the city state of Rome emerged. And Rome would dominate the other Latin city states. as the head of the Larin League. Eventually the Latin people began demanding independence. These states sent an embassy to the Roman Senate asking for the formation of a new republic with both parties on the same level (340 BC). The result was the the Latin War (340-338 BC). The Latin League was disolved and the region incorporated in the Roman sphere of influence. The Latin peoples gaining partial political rights and varying levels of citizenship.

Raetic People

An Italian reader tells us about the Ladini people who live in the mountains of north-western Italy. They speak their own destinct language. This is not a group that we know much about. They appear to be ethnically and linguistically related to Romansch in southern Switzerland. The Romansh speak the Romansh language. They settled in parts of the Grisons. Ethnically they have descended from Raetic stock. Little is known of the origin or history of the Raetians. They first apea in Roman records. The Romans believed that they descended from the Etruscans. The Romans described them as an especially war-like Alpine tribe. Some settled in the plains of the Po, but were driven into the more defemdsible mountains by the invading Celts (Gauls). There they adoptedthe name Raetians from an important war leader--Raetus. Another theory is the name comes from the Celtic rait ("mountain land"). What ever their origins, by the time the Romans came in contact with them they appear to have been a a basically Celtic people. They were conquered by the Romans (15 BC)

Southern Italy

Urban society also appeared in southern Italy (6th century). Historians report true cities appearing (4th cenyury BC). The southeast or Apulia was diminaed by tribes speaking Messapian. There were three Iapygian tribes: the Messapians, the Peucetians and the Daunians. They developed a written language, but only some 300 inscriptions (6th-1st century BC). Messapian might have been related to the Illyrian language which suugests the ethnicity and culture of the people. It became extinct after the Roman Republic conquest and assimilation of the population. The rest of southern Italy and Sicily was inhabited by the Italiotes/ Greeks, and Cartaginians. The Italiotes were the pre-Roman Greek-speaking inhabitants of the Italian Peninsula, dominating the area from Naples south to Sicily. Greek colonization of the coastal areas of southern Italy and Sicily began before the rise of Rome (8th century BC). Naples was founded by the Greeks. And by the time Rome was becoming the dominate force on the peninsula, the south had become strongly hellenized. The Romans called the south Magna Graecia, 'Greater Greece'.

Samnites

The Samnites were annother ancient Italic people. They inhabited Samnium in south-central Italy. They were the major south and east of Rome. As a result, they were involving in intermitent warfare with the Romans--the Samenite Wars. This conflict did not end until the 1st century BC. The Samnites were an Oscan-speaking people, probably an offshoot of the Sabines. The Samnites formed a confederation for security. The confederation was composed of four tribes: the Hirpini, Caudini, Caraceni, and Pentri. The Romans respeced them much more than the Etruscans despite the fact that much of Roman culture was built on an Etruscan base. They allied with the Romans to fight off the Celts (354 BC). They inevitably had to resist the Romans. The resultvwas the Samnite Wars-- a protracted series of three wars (343-341 BC, 327-304 BC, and 298�290 BC). The Samnites won an stunning victory at the Battle of the Caudine Forks (321 BC). Even so he Riomans steadily wore them down. Weakened Samnite cities helped Pyrrhus and Hannibal in their wars against Rome (280-275 BC and 218-201 BC). They also fought from in the Social War (90 BC) and subsequently later in the civil war (82 BC) as allies of Gnaeus Papirius Carbo against Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Sulla defeated their army led by Pontius Telesinus at the Battle of the Colline Gate (82 BC). Sulla was a vengeful victor. He launched an thnic cleansing campaign against the Samnites. He did the same with the Etruscans to the north. Both were as a result obliterated from history.

Appenie

Appenine Italy continued as a largely nonurban culture. [Flower]

Celts

The Celts (Gauls) dominated much of Europe. They had pushed beyond the Pyrenees into Spain and were pushing through the Alps into northern Italy where they would eventually pose a major challenge to Rome. The Celts from northern Italy commanded by Brennus capture and sack Rome. They withdraw afterwards--"Vae victius". (390 BC). Celts settled in northern Italy (about 350 BC). The Senones, a Celtic tribe, defeated the Romans at Arreitium (289 BC).

Sources

Flower, Harriet I. The Cambridge Companion to the Roman Republic (Cambridge University Press).

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Created: 7:36 PM 10/20/2007
Last updated: 6:49 PM 7/9/2018