The Etruscan Cities & Rome

Aspects of Greek & Roman Life

by H.H. Scullard

"Scullard's command of scholarship and his ability to evaluate all types of evidence are combined with an exemplary clarity in this is an impressive and highly useful book... Scullard moves with controlled ease through details of archaeological evidence, the vague references of literary sources and bits of linguistic data."--Doris Taylor Bishop, Classical World In The Etruscan Cities and Rome, Howard H. Scullard examines the cities of Etruria, the dominant power on the Italian peninsula just prior to the ascendancy of Rome. Though eventually conquered by the Romans, the Etruscans exerted enormous influence on Roman political and social institutions. Scullard describes the mysterious origins of these people, their years of conquest and expansion, and their encounters with Greeks, Romans, Celts, and others. Generously illustrated, the book admirably captures the distinct qualities of Etruria's various urban centers -- from the southern cities where art and handicrafts flourished, to the metal-working northern cities, to the outlying Etruscan areas of Latium and Campania. "Comprehensive, helpful, sensible and well aware of current discoveries and research... Professor Scullard, with the help of 120 good plates, has had the excellent idea of treating [the cities] not only as a group but also as a number of distinct idiosyncratic units. His views on the eternally discussed major questions are always prudent."--Times Literary Supplement "A description of each site is enhanced by a plan and by photographs of the major remains of buildings, finds, and works of art. Descriptions are correlated with available testimony of ancient writers. Thus the book is both a 'travel book' and a history of the individual cities... The book's contribution lies in its synthesis of evidence from various sources and in the reconstruction of the development, status, and history of the individual cities."--Inez Scott Ryberg, American Historical Review

Genres: History

384 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 1967

About the author

Howard Hayes Scullard, FBA, FSA was a British historian specializing in ancient history, notable for editing the Oxford Classical Dictionary and for his many books. His early education was at Highgate School, followed by St. John's College, Cambridge. He was a tutor and then reader at New College London, from 1935 to 1959, after which be became Professor of Ancient History at King's College London before retiring in 1970.

Perhaps his most widely known work is From the Gracchi to Nero: A History of Rome from 133 B.C. to A.D. 68, a text widely used by students studying Rome in the late republic, as well as Rome under the Julio-Claudians.

Reviews

[Evan Þ.]

Unfortunately, there's no coherent narrative here because we don't know enough to make one. We can't read Etruscan, so we must piece together a history through external (mostly Roman) sources and archaeology. The first quarter of the book outlines the different guesses at the mystery of who they are and where they came from; the last quarter talks about our guesses at Etruscan influence on Rome. Since I was short on time while reading this, I consciously chose the middle half of the book to skip, where Scullard tours around all the Etruscan cities telling the bits we know without even trying to weave together a story.

It's a fascinating mystery.

[Michael Anderson]

Everything you need to know about the Etruscans.