The Etruscan Library
Françoise-Hélène Massa-Pairault: La cité des Etrusques (French) 256pages, Presses du CNRS 1996
This book takes account of recent archaeological findings on the social and cultural exchange between the ancient Etruscans and Greeks. It redefines the Etruscan identity in the face of Greek, Eastern and Italian alternatives. Numerous artefacts are examined in great detail, and with many colour and b/w illustrations. Highlights the cultural borrowings in Etruscan art and architecture.
Etruscan life and afterlife : a handbook of Etruscan studies.
edited by Larissa Bonfante. Warminster: Aris & Phillips, c1986.
This is one of the seminal books in the Etruscan field. Bonfante brings
together a group of highly regarded scholars to explore the Etruscan idea that
the afterlife was an extension of life, and its ramifications in the culture.
Macnamara, Ellen. Everyday life of the Etruscans. New
York: Dorset Press, 1987, c1973.
An excellent overview of the Etruscan lifestyle. Macnamara draws on a great
deal of information discovered or hypothesized in the past century. She
presents a broad overview of Etruscan culture, focusing primarily on the
interactions of the Etruscans with other Etruscans.
Spivey, Nigel and Simon Stoddart. Etruscan Italy. London:
B. T. Batsford Ltd, 1990.
A
scholarly book that focuses on the geography, available technology, trade and
agriculture, war, ritual, and social interaction. Excellent tables, charts, and
diagrams.
G. Barker & T. Rasmussen, The Etruscans, 1998 (See "History Today" Review)
M. Cristofani, The Etruscans, 1979
M. Pallottino, The Etruscans, 1975
Von Cles-Reden, Sibylle. The Buried People (A Study of the Etruscan world). Rupert Hart-Davis, London. 1955
Strong, Donald Emrys. The early Etruscans. New York, Putnam, 1968.
Etruscan Art
Richard Daniel De Puma, Jocelyn Penny Small, Murlo and the Etruscans: Art and Society in Ancient Etruria. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1994 (See Bryn Mawr Review)
Moretti, Mario. The Art of the Etruscans. Harry N. Abrams, inc., New York. 1970.
Sybille Haynes "Etruscan Bronzes" Sotheby's Publications, London and New York 1985
Useful for the study of Etruscan bronzes. Also describes bronze disease and the care of Ancient Bronzes.
Sybille Haynes "Etruscan Sculpture" British Museum, London 1971.
Richardson, Emeline. Etruscan Sculptures. The New American Library, New York and Toronto. 1966
Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert) Sketches of Etruscan places and other Italian essays. Cambridge University Press, 1992.
Vighi, Roberto. The New Museum of Villa Giulia. Rome: Tipgrafia Artistica A. Nardini, 1959.
Bloch, Raymond. Etruscan art. Greenwich, The Pallas
Library of Art series. Connecticut: New York Graphic Society.
A
general overview of Etruscan Art, which the publisher calls a "little museum"
in print. Bloch is sometimes simplistic and subjective. There are four main
divisions: Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, and the so-called minor arts,
such as gold- and metalwork, at which the Etruscans excelled. This is a source
best suited for a newcomer to Etruscan art who wishes to have a simple
understanding and knowledge of it.
Brendel, Otto J. Etruscan Art. Pelican History of Art.
New York: Penguin Books, 1978.
This
book used to be a standard textbook for Etruscan Art classes. Nearly completed
at his death, Emmeline Richardson Hill prepared it for publication. She
completed the final chapter, and provided the latest information about digs and
discoveries. This volume contains in-depth examinations of the various periods
of Etruscan Art, without sacrificing the overall themes of the evolution of the
artistic tradition.
Cles-Reden, Sibylle. The buried people; a study of the Etruscan
world. Translated from German by C.M. Woodhouse. London, Rupert
Hart-Davis, 1955.
While
not rejecting the influence of the Greco-Roman world upon the Etruscans,
Cles-Reden chooses to focus on the pre-Hellenic Mediterranean influences. She
also provides an overview of the controversy relating to Etruscan origins. She
approaches this discussion through a general understanding of the Etruscan
landscape and specific examples of the famous Etruscan cities.
Cristofani, Mauro. The Etruscans : a new investigation.
Translated
from the Italian by Brian Phillips; photographs by Mario Carrieri. Echoes of
the ancient world series. London : Orbis Pub., c1979.
Mansuelli, G. A. The art of Etruria and early Rome. New
York: Crown Publishers, 1965.
Mansuelli's
book is particularly useful in its final chapter where he discusses the way in
which Etruscan art shaped Roman art, and merged into it. He also spends time
explaining the traditional divisions of Etruscan art, and the reasoning behind
it.
Richardson, Emeline Hill. The Etruscans, their art and
civilization. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1964.
Richardson
uses art to explain history in such a way as to be instructive to the art
historian. She uses contemporary Greek and Roman art and literature to draw an
understanding of the larger Etruscan world. The pictures are small and in black
and white, but many are unique and rarely reproduced.
Sprenger, Maja and Gilda Bartoloni. The Etruscans : their history,
art, and architecture. Photographs by Max and Albert Hirmer.
Translated from the German and Italian by
Robert Erich Wolf. H.N. Abrams, 1983.
This volume looks at Etruscan art from the perspective of both the
Development and Characteristics of Etruscan art and genres (Architecture,
Sculpture, Decorative Works, and Painting). The 288 supurb plates are arranged
chrononologically and a commentary and catalogue is provided for each period.
There are several useful appendices, including a listing of the known Etruscan
gods and the major Etruscan cities.
Vighi, Roberto. The New Museum of Villa Giulia. Rome:
Tipgrafia Artistica A. Nardini, 1959.
The
Villa Giulia is the premier musuem in the world for Etruscan Art. The most
famous Etruscan pieces of art (the "Roman" she-wolf, the chimera, the
Cerveteri couple sarcophagus) are lodged here. This is a volume as much about
the renovation of the villa and the structure of the museum as it is about the
art itself. An "itinerary" or museum tour makes up most of the book.
Cles-Reden, Sibylle. The buried people; a study of the Etruscan
world.
Translated
from German by C.M. Woodhouse. London, Rupert Hart-Davis, 1955.
Cles-Redden discusses the afterlife and its religious aspects in Chapter 12.
She specifically discusses Christianity, and the facets of it that she suggests
are Etruscan in origin, specifically the role of demons and other creatures of
Hell. She argues that the Etruscan presence was felt by the Church well into
Medieval times. It is a fairly unique discussion.
Maule, Quentin Froebel, and Henry Roy William Smith. Votive
religion at Caere: prolegomena.
University
of California publications in classical archaeology, v.4, no. 1. Berkeley,
University of California Press, 1959.
Maule and Smith discuss the role of votive offerings in the Etruscan religion,
focusing on the terra-cotta sculpture offerings, with some comparative discussion
of bronze votives. They focus on the styles and iconography of the votives in
the larger contexts of religion and death.
Meer, L. Bouke van der. The bronze liver of Piacenza : analysis of
a polytheistic structure. J.C. Gieben, 1987.
The bronze liver of Piacenza is a model of a
divination liver - the artisan etched divisions and symbols into the bronze. Van
der Meer focuses on the liver in its role as a diviner; some glancing attention
is paid to the role the liver has played in the attempted decryption of the
Etruscan language,the clues it provides to understanding Etruscan medicine, and
its role as a treasured belonging marking the status of an augur.
Regell, P., Roman augury and Etruscan divination. Ancient
religion and mythology series New York : Arno Press, 1975.
Regell traces the evolution of the Etruscan
practices of divination into the Roman reliance on augurs and omens. He used
artifacts and artwork to demonstrate the similarities and differences between
the two cultures in addition to the similarities and differences of the
divination practices.
Small, Jocelyn Penny, Cacus and Marsyas in Etrusco-Roman legend. Princeton
University Press, c1982.
Small traces the Etruscan origins of the Roman
god Cacus, using Marsyas as a yardstick and foil for the Etruscanization and
Romanization of the Cacus figure. The use of Roman and Greek dieties as a way
to understand the Etruscan dieties is an old and traditional technique.
Language
Bonfante, Giuliano and Larissa 1983. The Etruscan Language: An Introduction. New York and Manchester: New York University Press. Comprehensive, good bibliography, inscriptions, mirrors, short lexicon, grammar, etc.
Bonfante, Larissa, *Etruscan*. Reading the Past, v. 8. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press/British Museum, 1990 (See Bryn Mawr Review)
Pfiffig, Ambros Josef, Die Etruskische Sprache, Akademische Druck-u. Verlagsansalt Graz-Austria, 1969- German language edition
Livy.The history of Rome.Translated by 5 different translators.
London: Henry G. Bohn, 1850.
John F. Hall, ed., Etruscan Italy. Etruscan Influences on the Civilizations of Italy from Antiquity to the Modern Era. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Museum of Art, 1996 [1997]. (Seth and Maurine D. Horne Center for the Study of Art, scholarly series.) (See Bryn Mawr Review)
Massimo Pallottino "A History of Earliest Italy" London: Routledge, 1991 and also
Ann Arbor University of Michigan Press 1991.
Bloch, Raymond. The ancient civilization of the Etruscans. Translated from the French by James Hogarth. Ancient Civilizations Series. New York: Cowles Book Co, 1969
Robertson, Norman and Cryan, Mary Jane 2001. Affreschi - Exploring Etruria Tecnostampa, Sutri(VT) Italy ISBN 88-88300-007.
Heurgon, Jacques. Daily life of the Etruscans. Translated
from the French by James Kirkup. New York, Macmillan, 1964. Johnstone, M. A. Etruria, Past and Present. London:
Methuen & Co. Ltd. 1930 Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert) Sketches of Etruscan places and
other Italian essays. Cambridge University Press, 1992. Grant, Michael. The Etruscans. Weidenfeld and Nicolson,
c1980. Vacano, Otto Wilhelm von. The Etruscans in the ancient world.
St. Martin's Press, 1960 Keller, Werner. 1974. The Etruscans. A.A. Knopf. Translation from German of popular account by non-estruscologist.
Scullard, H. H. 1967. The Etruscan Cities and Rome. Thames and Hudson/ London and Southampton: The Camelot Press. Recently reissued.
Wellard, James. 1973. The Search for the Etruscans. New York: Saturday Review Press.
Dennis, George. 1985. The Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria. Pamela Hemphill,
ed. Abridged edition. Princeton Univ. Press, NJ.
Please report any broken or inappropriate links
This section of the Etruscan library contains links to Etruscan sites. The pages pop up as separate windows. The objective is to categorise the links into different topics.
(Suggest a link by using my feedback link on the Glossary & Educational Resources Section)
GENERAL SITES ON THE RASNA
Etruscan News Online
The Etruscans
Campbell, G.L., ed. 1991. "Etruscan." Compendium of the World's Languages,
Vol. 1. Routledge. Volume is plagued with errors, but sketch of Etruscan is still interesting and provocative in spite of this. Based on Pfiffig, Ambros
History
This
literal translation of Livy provides a look at the Roman attitude towards and
about the Etruscans. The first five chapters are the most valuable to the
Etruscologist. They discuss the early kings of Rome, several of whom were
Etruscan. During this period, the Etruscans still maintained a certain amount
of power. Guides to the Region
A fascinating insight into the culture and sites of those parts of Northern Lazio which are off the beaten track. Includes 42 pages of travel essays and 32 pages of illustrations. - Well worth it for new visitors to the region.
Culture
Banti, Luisa. 1973. The Etruscan Cities and Their Culture. [trans. Erika
Bizzarri ]. Berkeley and Los Angeles: Univ. of CA Press.
Bonfante, Larissa. 1975. Etruscan Dress. John Hopkins University Press.
Bonfante, Larissa, ed. 1986. Etruscan Life and Afterlife: A Handbook of Etruscan Studies. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
Cristofani, Mauro. 1979. The Etruscans: A New Investigation. [trans. Brian Phillips] London: Orbis Publishing Ltd.
Grant, Michael. 1980. The Etruscans. London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson.
Archaeology
Alexander McKee "Tarquin's Ship - The Etruscan Wreck in Campese Bay" Souvenir Press, London and Toronto, 1985
An interesting account of marine archaeology in the days before Safety was considered relevant. Some interesting discussion of marine trade in Etruscan times. Dated, But Still Worthwhile:
This is a volume in the style of Jerome Carcopino, responsible for Daily
Life of the Romans and the like. His chapters have a distinctly modern
French-ancient Roman view; he discusses the "Moral Temper" and
"The Physical Type," as well as the role of family, social structure,
the role of games, and relies on the Etruscan's foes, the Romans, for this
information. He applies modern "truths" to the past.
Johnstone discusses the Etruscan concept of "Home," the Etruscan
prowess in metalworking, and the role of children in the society, among other
topics. She discusses gems and jewellery, and clothing, and takes a good look
at the traditional "knowledge" about Etruscan women.
These
are Lawrence's essays on travelling though Italy, looking for Etruscan sites,
in the early 1930s. He describes the feeling of descending into the tombs, the
state that they remain in, and clearly finds the modern Italian inferior to his
Etruscan forbears. It is also clear that he feels a real affinity for the early
Etruscans, and for the art he finds there. He is no scholar of art history, but
he does create vivid images of the past and the present.
Michael
Grant, who specialized in Greek and Roman history, surveys Etruscan history
with a focus on the Etruscan city. Trade, politics, and social structures all
play key roles in this volume.
von
Vacano examines the Etruscans in terms of their place in the Mediterranean
world, but focusing mainly on the Greeks and the Romans. He does include some
information on links with Central Europe and the Balkans, and the Phoenicians,
but information about African influences is missing.
Strong, Donald. 1968. The Early Etruscans. (Life in Ancient Lands series.
Edward Bacon, (ed.) G.P. Putnam. Dated popular account, which does not detract from wealth of detail about geography and climate, history, etc.
Von Cles-Reden, Sybille. 1955. The Buried People. Das Versunkene Folk. trans. C.M. Wodehouse. London: Rupert Hart-Davis.
Historical Novels and Other Fiction
Haynes, Sybille. 1987. The Augur's Daughter: A Story of Etruscan Life. Rubicon Press, U.K.
Waltari, Mika. 1956. The Etruscan. trans. Lily Leino. G. P. Putnam's Sons.
McClintoch, Lara The Etruscan Chimera
Canadian author, Lara McClintoch offers this Etruscan period mystery, which has been described as everything from 'average' to 'must read'. Quote "Another victim of Etruscomania...it's an incurable disease"
Also Refer to Ancient Historical Sources
Etruscan Web Links
Go To Bibliography Section
Keep up to date with the latest news from the American Section of the Institute for Etruscan and Italic Studies.(University of Massachusetts) You can also download back issues of Etruscan News in pdf format from this New York University Site.
A Good General Site: Follow Larth in his adventures (multilingual)
Museo Gregorio Etrusco I (Vatican)
Museo Gregorio Etrusco II (Vatican) ETRUSCAN LANGUAGE SITES
Etruscan Glossary Online
Compilation and translations from French, Italian and Latin
by Rick Mc Callister and Silvia Mc Callister-Castillo. A comprehensive site, which gives extensive comparisons of Etruscan words with other languages.
Etruscan Texts Project University of Massachusetts Amherst site provides a searchable database of Etruscan texts.
Etruscan Dictionary by Damien Erwan Perrotin. A nice resource by a Breton author who thinks the French Language is only good for buying bread at the shop. The rest of the website is also very impressive, especially the essay on Etruscan and Mediterranean languages
Thanchvil Cilnei's Language Page
A Review of Etruscan Grammar - a translation from Dutch of Chapter 7 of "De Etrusken Spreken" by R.S.P. Beekes and L.B. van der Meer (Coutinho, Muiderberg 1991).
Thanchvil Cilnei's Page on the Liber Linteus
Thanchvil Cilnei's - Four Short Articles on Etruscan Language
Etruscan Language page from "The Mysterious Etruscans" (Marce Camitlnas)
Etruscology at its best
English version of a German site explores what we know about Etruscan Language. Includes vocabulary, grammar and place names.
Etruscan Vocabulary - Not active as at 7 April 2006. Links to archived site.
The Liber Lintaeus
Gabor Z. Bodroghy's suberb site on the Liber Lintaeus of Zagreb
The Etruscan Cryptolect
Was Etruscan a sort of Pig Latin of the ancient world? Pull the other one.
Etruscan Calendar
Etruscan was an ancient Slavonic language.
DISCUSSION GROUPS
RELIGION SITES
The Art of the Haruspex
This is an incredibly detailed site on haruspicy, although I don't subscribe to the ritual side of it.
Montovolo: perhaps an Ancient Oracular Centre
Site by Graziano Baccollini. An interesting new theory.
Julia Hayden's - Ancient World Web - Excellent resource - searchable
HISTORY SITES
TRAVEL GUIDES AND MUSEUMS
Elegant Etruria
- Mary Jane Cryan's very elegant site about the
less travelled parts of Etruria
InfoRoma - A brief Etruscan page
The controversial "Etruscopolis" in Tarquinia
SITES IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Ressources pédagogiques
sur l'archéologie méditerranéenne(French and English)
Ces pages sont destinées à réunir et à mettre en ordre des informations pédagogiques simples et pratiques sur les sites et objets archéologiques concernant tout d'abord les mondes Grecs, Etrusques et Romains. Un grand merci à René pour son aide dans la traduction des "Etrusques Mystérieux" en français.
Rasenna (French)
Ce site inclut la version électronique intégrale de l'ouvrage de Jean-René Jannot, - "A la rencontre des Etrusques,"
Etruskerne (Danish)
Denne hjemmeside er den første danske side helliget etruskerne.
(Veio (Italian)
Descrive gli scavi di Veii antico. Molto interessante sito da studioso.
Etruscan Philology Online
Questo sito è indirizzato sia agli studiosi specialisti in etruscologia (sulle iscrizioni etrusche) eccellente! - Not active as at 2 March 2006. Try www.archive.org
The Etruscan Portrait (Russian)
(English Translation)
Afabetos de Ayer y de Hoy - Etrusco (Spanish)
Este sitio ofrece muchas inscripciones Etruscos.