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Essay on Women in Etruscan Tomb Paintings
In ancient times 1200-509 BC the Etruscans lived in the area between the Arno and Tiber Rivers of Italy. They strongly influenced the culture of their neighbors the Romans. The Etruscans left impressive tombs, works of art, carved inscriptions and other artifacts that indicated a high civilization. Yet scholars have not been able to translate their written language except for names and numbers so the origins of the Etruscans remain a mystery. Some scholars believe they were driven from their homes in Asia Minor at the time of the Trojan Wars. The ancient Greeks influenced Etruscan art and religion; their letters were Greek, but the words were not. The language of the Etruscans was so unusual that scholars have only found similar ancient writing on the island of Lemon near the Hellespont.
What things do scholars know about these Etruscans and especially about their customs relating to women? A Greek historian, Theopompos, in the 4th century BC wrote about them. He used older accounts, which no longer exist to describe the lives of Etruscan women at an earlier period. Later Roman historians, also wrote about Etruscan women from sources such as legends. Etruscan art works, which include women, give another major source of information about them.
Etruscan women had individual names, such as that of Queen Tanaquil, which came from neither their father nor husband. Inscriptions on graves often mentioned both the mother and father of the dead person, such as in this inscription:
"Vel Pardons, son of Velthur (father) and of Ramtha Satimei (mother) died when he was 28 years old." (Gore, 1988)
Theopompos, a 4th century BC Greek historian was sometimes shocked and critical of what he saw as he looked back on the behavior of Etruscan women. Here are his reactions, as an historian, to Etruscan women and how a modern historian might interpret the evidence. Theopompos described Etruscan women as: spending great care bathing and dressing. Modern historians think they were careful in their dress and wore luxuries such as elegant jewelry, since many Etruscans were wealthy....
