Before the Romans, Italy was occupied by a civilisation who were just as advanced.
Where was it: Central Italy
When did it exist: 800-250 BCE
Strengths: Construction expertise, iron and copper, trade, urban planning
Weaknesses: Poor army, territory desirable to invaders, locality to Rome
Amazing fact: The Etruscans invented the idea of armed combat for sport, or as we more commonly know them: gladiators.
The Etruscan story begins in post-Iron Age Italy. Originally inhabiting the area we now know as Tuscany, Ancient Etruria grew in the 9th and 8th centuries BCE thanks to its rich seams of mineral ores, strong agriculture and plentiful timber resources. The civilisation reached the height of its power in the 6th century BCE when 12 city-states were allied in the Etruscan League. The main cities were Tarquinii, Vulci, Caere and Veii, whose economy was based on a thriving copper and iron trade with the Greeks and Carthaginians. Being the first real major settlement on the Italian peninsula, Etruria became the basis of the civilisations in late antiquity to follow. They were one of the first peoples to dispose of kings and be ruled by an intelligentsia of aristocrats and magistrates, and their architecture and construction techniques arguably influenced the Romans as much as the Greeks did.
Their homes were made from mud brick baked in the hot Mediterranean Sun mixed with wood and stone, and some even had upper storeys. These houses, which were very advanced for their time, were set into the first type of rectangular urban planning and were accompanied by roads and bridges, which used arch and vault construction techniques. Even the Latin alphabet and the Roman toga have their origins with the Etruscan people.
Etruria is also known for its maritime prowess as the Etruscans explored the Adriatic and Aegean Seas, establishing colonies on Corsica, Sardinia and even in Spain. The Romans, a civilisation that owed so much to the Etruscans, proved to be their downfall. The growing Roman military juggernaut proved irresistible to Etruscan resistance as their league of city-states was annexed into the new Roman Republic in 250 BCE.
Written by Dr. Kathryn Lomas in "All About History - Ancient Civilisations" 2019, UK, excerpts p.9. Digitized, adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.