Before Rome came a small group of city-states collectively known as the Etruscans, a typically overlooked people that laid the foundation for Rome to rise as one of the greatest empires the world has ever seen. Etruscan people lived amongst the hills and central plains in Italy from around 900 to 400 BC. While their culture and way of life appear to be mysterious, thousands of translatable Etruscan texts as well as outside observations survive today to lend insight on the Etruscans. They are not as forgotten as most would assume, in fact, the amount of information on the Etruscans is no different than most other little-known archaic groups. From references and preserved works of art, we can delve into the land of Etruria and it’s people to
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It is a common error to accredit most of their borrowed inspiration from the Greeks when it was equally borrowed from the widely forgotten Etruscans. Their inspiration is rather a hybrid of Greek and Etruscan influence. The first Roman temples were largely modeled after Etruscan style, especially the early temple to Jupiter in Rome, the Capitolium. The temple rested on a high platform, a single set of steps leading to a large portico, and the inner temple being divided into three chambers are all elements of Etruscan design. It even had an Etruscan artist, Vulca of Veius, work on a painted terracotta along the roof. This style would continue in combination with Greek style to become a fully integrated staple of Roman architecture. The Romans would continue to build upon what the Etruscans left …show more content…
Sculpture memorializing the dead was a common occurrence in Etruscan tombs that the Romans continued on with. The most striking example of similarities between Etruscan and Roman sarcophagi is the almost identical sarcophagus lids of the Etruscan’s sarcophagus from Caere (Cerveteri) and the Roman’s marble sarcophagus lid with reclining couple from the Severan period. The works are undeniably similar. Two reclining figures, a woman and man, lay down on the lid of the sarcophagus. Both feature identical poses with the male having an arm draped over the woman’s shoulder and the woman with an object of importance in her hand. Both sculptures also have similar clothing choices; the male’s upper half nude, while the female is more modestly covered. Expression on these sculptures favor character more like the Etruscan style rather than the stoic Greek style. There is no coincidence in these similarities. In fact, the Romans directly copied this form of sarcophagus specifically from the Etruscans. The Egyptians did influence the Etruscans, but when it came to sarcophagi the Etruscans retained their own style. Egyptians depicted their sarcophagi figures in death while the Etruscans departed from this style and instead chose to depict figures alive. The Romans chose to retain the Etruscan style and also portrayed their sarcophagi figures in life rather than
It is a common error to accredit most of their borrowed inspiration from the Greeks when it was equally borrowed from the widely forgotten Etruscans. Their inspiration is rather a hybrid of Greek and Etruscan influence. The first Roman temples were largely modeled after Etruscan style, especially the early temple to Jupiter in Rome, the Capitolium. The temple rested on a high platform, a single set of steps leading to a large portico, and the inner temple being divided into three chambers are all elements of Etruscan design. It even had an Etruscan artist, Vulca of Veius, work on a painted terracotta along the roof. This style would continue in combination with Greek style to become a fully integrated staple of Roman architecture. The Romans would continue to build upon what the Etruscans left …show more content…
Sculpture memorializing the dead was a common occurrence in Etruscan tombs that the Romans continued on with. The most striking example of similarities between Etruscan and Roman sarcophagi is the almost identical sarcophagus lids of the Etruscan’s sarcophagus from Caere (Cerveteri) and the Roman’s marble sarcophagus lid with reclining couple from the Severan period. The works are undeniably similar. Two reclining figures, a woman and man, lay down on the lid of the sarcophagus. Both feature identical poses with the male having an arm draped over the woman’s shoulder and the woman with an object of importance in her hand. Both sculptures also have similar clothing choices; the male’s upper half nude, while the female is more modestly covered. Expression on these sculptures favor character more like the Etruscan style rather than the stoic Greek style. There is no coincidence in these similarities. In fact, the Romans directly copied this form of sarcophagus specifically from the Etruscans. The Egyptians did influence the Etruscans, but when it came to sarcophagi the Etruscans retained their own style. Egyptians depicted their sarcophagi figures in death while the Etruscans departed from this style and instead chose to depict figures alive. The Romans chose to retain the Etruscan style and also portrayed their sarcophagi figures in life rather than