Interaction of Greeks and Etruscans

Archaeology and ancient history

Lund University

ERDAL KARABOĞA

“Interaction of Greeks and Etruscans”

The Dynamics of Interaction: Greeks, Etruscans, Celtsand Romans (SASH19)

Spring 2013

Final Paper

INTRODUCTION If one is to define the formation process of culture, s/hewill realize that culture is an evolving, continuous dynamic

structure. The formation and disappearance of cultural values are

caused by various variables. Finding its way among societies,

culture has changed throughout the human history. Developed and

rich cultures affect undeveloped cultures which are more prone to

be influenced and develop their culture accordingly. And in

cultural meanings, the Greek culture also caused Western cultures

to arise, controlled Italian peninsula. Formed as a result of

interactions, this cultural exchange manifests itself through the

expansion of the more attractive. The further the dominant

culture expands, the longer its existence in that area/region is.

Wars, trade, immigration and the phenomenon of exploration are

reasons for the expansion of cultures. Acording to Hofstede’s

interaction model social values are determined by ecological

influences modified by external factors such as international

trade and invesment, conquest and the forces of nature.1 And

nearly we can see all this process when we analyse Greeks and

Etruscans relations. In this paper, I will deal with how the

Greek colonization movements affected the Etruscans who lived in

Italy back then. Despite the fact that there is missing

information on the Etruscan past, sources found till now provide

satisfactory information on their historical structures, cultural

traits, daily life and their relations with other civilizations.

Etruscan- Greek Interaction

The origins of the Etruscans are not precisely known

however, a good many researchers put forward ideas on their

origins. For researchers, the origins of these people has an

interesting history. The Etruscans are among to most intriguing

of ancient people and ever since early Roman times scholars are

argued about who they are, where they came from and what language

they spoke. Even today despite the discoveries of modern

archaeologists, we still little know about the origins of the

Etruscans, and their language has yet to be deciphered.2

Although there are different claims about the origins of

Etruscans, it is a well-known fact that the Etruscans were

influenced by the Hellenic culture and underwent transformation

accordingly. A result of the Greek colonization movement, this

interaction caused Etruscans to lend and adopt a lot of

information and artistic traits from the Greeks.

“Network” (réseau) is a key term in Mediterranean studies.

The network may be one of trade: one port has no existence

without another. It may be one of myth and religion: the presence

of the Phoenician god Melqart in western Sicily made it possible

for the myth of Herakles’ travels to be superimposed on the

terrain. It may be one of identity: the mythical Greek Odysseus

became Utuse, the ancestor and leader of the Etruscans.3 As we

see on the pottery and tomb portrait that are founded Etruria

they are good example for these network process. We’ll see the

examples below. If the Greeks did not expand towards the West,

there would probably be not any influence of the Greeks on the

Etruscans. Therefore this interaction has created a new culture

and this Hellenistic life style spread to almost entire

Continental Europe via Romans. Greeks were settled in

Pithekoussai in the Mediterranean for the first time. This is the

first colony of the Greeks and Greek civilization and

urbanization were developing in this very period.4 There was

probably a center for iron working the ores being brought from

the island of Elba. There were important Achaean foundation along

the southern coast. Sybaris with its rich agricultural

hinterland, became proverbial for luxury. It was also main center

for trade Miletos and Etruscans.5 During the colonization period

it was very usual to carry out some material values to other

cities and that process was very common. Therefore numerous

Greek settlements in southern Italy which gave rise to name Magna

Graecia, represent the best know and most widely studied instance

of colonialism in the Mediterranean.6 Aside from carrying the

material culture to Island, Greek literary language made a

positive effect of understanding the Etruscan language which was

hard once to understand. A study of the language illustrates the

kind of contact that took place between the Etruscans and Greeks

and this hybridization was the other important factor for the

interaction between this two cultures. If we analyze the

improvements through the colonization process the Greeks brought

to Etruria the alphabet, civilized customs such as drinking wine

at symposia, many words for vases, and technical terms. Etruscans

adopted many cultural values from Etruscan such as these

examples. Etruscans learned to grow olive from Greek colonies.

They also influenced the Greek language for example; olive

residue came into their language after the Etruscans adopted

Latin. It’s clearly observed when the Greeks settled the Italy

the Etruscans rapidly adopted their culture. The trade between

the Etruscans and Greeks gives a clear idea to us about their

relations.7 Trade’s impact which is the immaculate impact of

cultural interaction has affected the Italian peninsula very

slightly. Structures and shapes of materials were specified with

Etruscans wishes and they were made by Athenians in Greece

mainland. Accordingly, the Greeks left their influences on not

only urbanization, they left also Hellenistic art. For example,

there is a lot of pottery manufactured in 5th-6th century BC and

these were exported to Etruria. 30.000 pottery dating back to

5th-6th century BC manufactured in Athens were excavated from

Etruscan tombs. Some pottery was manufactured especially for the

Etruscans. These two pottery were specialized for Etruscans.

(figure 1)

(Figure 1)

Even, there is no this kind of portrayals in Greek culture. These

portrayals are belong to Etruscans and they are contain

originality that are never encountered in Greek Mainland. Most

probably 87 percent this kind of Thyrrhenian amphoras discovered

in Etruscan sites that are manufactured in Athens.8 Greeks also

brought Greek myths and new artistic habits to Italy peninsula.

According to Bouvrie; “The Etruscans never abandoned the local

imagery describing life and afterlife, but Greek myths took an

increasing part of their imagery, not only decorations on

imported vases, and on vases made by immigrant artisans (as the

famous 'Blinding of Polyphemos' on the crater made in Cerveteri

and signed by Aristonothos), but also on entirely local

products.”9 As we see Etruscans never left their own culture but

also they couldn’t avoid effects of Greeks culturel values. And

this interaction some time later caused to Etruscan/Greek

hybridization. One of the most exciting example(figure2) of this

hybridization is; Sacrifice of the Trojan Captives figure. This

figure was discovered by Alessandro François in 1857 and it’s

belongs to a tomb. And more important thing is this tomb is

harboring many hybrid figures. Here is the one of hybrid scenes;

on the left is Achilles sacrificing the Trojan prisoners before

the shade of Patroclus, and on the right is an episode from

Etruscan historical tradition in which the heroes of Vulci,

Mastarna and the Vibenna brothers, overcome warriors of other

ethnic origins. 10 This tomb harboring many examples like this.

Actually all Italian peninsula has this kind of tombs or Greek

settlements.

(Figure2)

In this interaction process we can mention many of this kind of

examples. These interactions were created material culture and

artistic values of Roman Empire therefore still we can encounter

many of examples of Hellenistic arts different region in Europe.

This artistic and cultural values adopted by Roman Empire, after

the Etruscans this values spread via Roman conquests other part

of continental Europe, after all this interaction and

expansionism of Roman Empire were constituted of developed

Europe. Consequently high Greek culture surrounded all Europe.

Conclusion This study examined the interactions (a result of the Greek

expansion) between the Greeks and Etruscans on the Italian

peninsula. This led to changes in the Etruscan culture influenced

by the Greek culture. Exposed to Greek influence in daily life,

language, architecture and art, the Etruscans formed a hybrid

lifestyle on the Italian peninsula. The influence of the Greek

culture observed on Etruscan tombs or archeological sites put a

new dress on the Italian peninsula and left traces of the

Hellenistic culture.

References

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2. Reich, Cunningham, (2010) Culture and Values a Survey of theHumanities, Boston, Wadsworth Publishing (p. 87)

3. Malkin I. (2004 September) Postcolonial Concepts andAncient Greek Colonization, University of Washington, ModernLanguage Quarterly(MLQ), (p. 358)

4. Buchner G. (1966), Pithekoussai:Oldest Greek Colony in theWest, Penn MuseumArticlehttp://www.penn.museum/documents/publications/expedition/PDFs/8-4/Pithekoussai.pdf

5. Morkot R. (1996) Historical Atlas Of Ancient Greece, London,Penguin Books ltd. (p.54)

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8. Osborne R. (2001) Why did Athenian pots appeal to theEtruscans? World Archaeology Vol:33(2) Taylor&Francis Ltd(p. 278)

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