Friday, May 16, 2014

What are the chief features of Etruscan culture and religion?

The Etruscans are one of three cultural groups that would influence Roman culture (Greek and Latin being the other two.) The Etruscan religion was polytheistic with dozens of gods being worshiped. They believed that the gods played an important role in their lives and could shape the present and the future. The Etruscans believed that only trained priests could interpret nature and its connections to the gods. Every little detail about nature could be interpreted...

The Etruscans are one of three cultural groups that would influence Roman culture (Greek and Latin being the other two.) The Etruscan religion was polytheistic with dozens of gods being worshiped. They believed that the gods played an important role in their lives and could shape the present and the future. The Etruscans believed that only trained priests could interpret nature and its connections to the gods. Every little detail about nature could be interpreted as some sort of message from the gods. For this reason, it was important to interpret acts of nature in order to placate the gods. The Etruscans were well respected for their superstitions and ritualistic belief system and many elements of their faith found a home in the Roman religious system.


The Etruscans seemed to be heavily influenced by the Ancient Greeks. They adopted a city-state model like Ancient Greece and the political alignment can best be described as aristocratic. The Etruscans were viewed as more sophisticated than the Latins and had a strong economic and artistic tradition. They were known for their successful mining of copper and iron and were keen practitioners of metallurgy as a result. Due to their sophistication and economic success, the Etruscans were important contributors to the early cultural development of Rome.

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