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===Background===
[[File: Arte etrusca, pannelli d'argento con rilievi, da castel san mariano presso perugia, 540-520 ac. 02.jpg |250px|thumb|left|Etruscan horseman]]
The Etruscans resided in ancient Italy in modern Tuscany and northern Lazio. They flourished in this area from 1000 BCE to 100 BCE.<ref> Torelli, Mario, <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0847823911/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0847823911&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=f036aff47bdc1f54abe5074e5b2c979f The Etruscans]</i>. (Rome Rizzoli International Publications, 1997), p. 5</ref> They had a unique language and culture. Etruscan society appears to have been one where a warrior aristocracy ruled a large rural population. This changed over time as the Etruscans became more sophisticated and rich and oligarchies dominated Etruria. The wealth of the Etruscan people was based on their rich natural resources. Etruria was rich in copper and gold and the landscape was dotted by mines. The Etruscans also had a good degree of technical know-how and they were renowned for their metal working and their pottery skills. They were also expert sculptors and artists. The Etruscans as they were also known were expert seafarers and sailed throughout the western Mediterranean. From the 7th century BCE they came into contact with Greek and Punic Civilizations and many Greeks even settled in Etruria.<ref> Franklin-Hall, John. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0842523340/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0842523340&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=f7d404eca2115dcbefce10369da8ce08 Etruscan Italy: Etruscan Influences on the Civilizations of Italy].</i> (Utah, Brigham Young Indiana UniversityPress, 19961997), p. 15</ref>
The Etruscans regularly fought the Greeks for control of the sea lanes. The Etruscans were never a coherent political unit but rather existed as independent city states. The Etruscans were united by a common culture and religion. Despite this the various Etruscan city-states were distinctive.<ref>Franklin-Hall, p. 114</ref> The coastal cities were generally much more cosmopolitan than those located in the interior. By the 7th century BCE, various Etruscan city states united in a loose political and military league. The Etruscans were formidable soldiers and copied the Hoplite tactics and weaponry of the Greeks. This allowed them to dominate a large area of Italy from the Po Valley to the area around Naples. Only the Greek city-states in ''Magna Graecia'' (southern Italy) defied their armies in Italy. The Etruscans could conquer the city of Rome and their dominance was so complete that a dynasty of Etruscan kings the Tarquinii, ruled the city for much of the 6th century BCE. During this period the city of Rome grew rapidly and it is possible that many Etruscans came to live in the city. The Romans were culturally and ethnically different from the Etruscans.<ref> Franklin-Hall, p. 114</ref>
