The Mysterious Etruscans

Course Overview

Course No. 3421

Discover the fascinating civilization that shaped Roman culture and Western foundations through 24 illuminating lectures.

This course explores:

• The Etruscans’ pivotal role between Greek and Roman civilizations
• Their advanced cities, art, and religious practices
• How they influenced Roman architecture, government, and symbols
• The mysteries of their language and eventual assimilation
• Their lasting legacy in Western culture

Video Lectures

01: Between the Greeks and Romans (32 min)

Introduce this crucial cultural bridge between ancient Greece and Rome.

02: Lost Cities of Tuscany (31 min)

Explore urban planning through three key Etruscan city sites.

03: Who Founded Rome? (34 min)

Examine evidence that Rome began as an Etruscan city.

04: Etruscan Cities of the Dead (32 min)

Tour necropolises revealing Etruscan afterlife beliefs.

05: Etruscan Burial and Mourning (34 min)

Decode funeral rites through tomb paintings and artifacts.

06: Etruscan Afterlife (29 min)

Compare Etruscan underworld beliefs with Greek mythology.

07: Etruscan Gods and Goddesses (32 min)

Survey the pantheon and its relationship to Greek/Roman deities.

08: Divination: The Will of the Gods (32 min)

Study entrail reading, bird augury, and lightning interpretation.

09: Sanctuaries and Sacred Places (32 min)

Analyze temple placement and design versus Greek models.

10: Etruscan Myths, Legends, and Heroes (32 min)

Meet folk heroes like the Vipinas brothers.

11: Greek Myth in Etruscan Tombs (32 min)

See how Greek stories were adapted in funerary art.

12: Greek Myth in Etruscan Homes (32 min)

Examine domestic art featuring Homeric scenes.

13: Etruscan Language and Literature (32 min)

Decipher 13,000 surviving texts from contracts to mummy wrappings.

14: Etruscan Government (31 min)

Trace the shift from tyranny to proto-democracy.

15: Etruscan Warriors and Warfare (32 min)

Assess military strengths and strategic weaknesses.

16: Mediterranean Artisans and Merchants (31 min)

Map extensive trade networks through imported goods.

17: Bronze, Terra-Cotta, and Portraiture (31 min)

Appreciate metalworking and sculpture techniques.

18: Etruscan Sports and Spectacles (30 min)

Discover the origins of gladiatorial combat.

19: The Etruscan Banquet (31 min)

Reconstruct feasting customs from tomb art.

20: Etruscan Women (31 min)

Contrast their surprising equality with Greek/Roman gender roles.

21: Etruscan Families (32 min)

Examine domestic life through funerary evidence.

22: The Etruscan World Falls Apart (30 min)

Track their decline under Roman expansion.

23: Etruscan Legacy in the Roman World (31 min)

Identify enduring contributions to Roman infrastructure and culture.

24: Where Have the Etruscans Gone? (34 min)

Trace their Renaissance rediscovery and modern DNA research.