Changes

The Etruscans were in many ways the predecessors of the Romans. They influenced the young city-state in many ways. The Etruscans ' culture exposed the Romans to the ideas of the Greeks, and new religious practices. The Etruscans taught the Romans both engineering and building skills and . They also decisively influenced the classical Roman architectural style. They also developed the economy of the city, for instance by draining the marshes adjacent to Rome. The era of the Etruscan monarchs is often portrayed as a period of tyranny yet these kings expanded the city and its territory and made it the leading power in central Italy. It is arguable that the Etruscans paved the way for the Romans to become a power in Italy and in the Mediterranean.