Roma Etrusca

ანოტაცია

Etruscan heritage, renowned among ancient Mediterranean cultures for its high level of development and originality, is praised, inter alia, for its contribution to antiquity and, especially, to Roman civilization. Roma Etrusca (“Etruscan Rome”) sheds light on this issue.

Revealing the role of Etruscan heritage in Roman culture is important for studying formation of Roman civilization and it is even more compelling to research its impact on development of European culture via Roma. It is essential to identify what were the meanings of different elements in Etruscan realm and what value and meaning have they gained in other cultural environments and chronological periods.

The information is compiled and analyzed based on sources from antiquity, as well archeological data and current studies. Due to multifaceted nature of the research problem, the paper relies on thematic principle, which implies compilation of materials around specific substance-based groups. Along with theoretical reflection each group is supplemented by linguistic material, more specifically, by analysis of terms, which either undoubtedly, or presumably are of Etruscan origin.

The borrowed Etruscan elements served as determining and fundamental factors in formation of a range of institutions in Roman world. Hence, the Roman polity, religious cults, military system, language, culture, and everyday life have been influenced by Etruscan component, which, importantly enough, the Roman world adopted while forming its own conceptions.

On this background it is valid to conclude that Etruscan element represents a substrate for Roman culture as distinct from, for instance, Greek culture, which can be viewed as adherent layer.

At the same time the Etruscan component, having constituted an integral part of Roman civilization, via Roma had an important influence on formation and development of European cultures.