ETRURIA, an ancient district of Italy, the extent of which varied considerably, and, especially in the earliest periods, is very difficult to define (see section Language). The name is the Latin equivalent of the Greek T uppnvia or which is used by Latin writers also in the forms Tyrrhenia, Tyrrhenii; the Romans also spoke of Tusci, whence the modern Tuscany (q.v.). In early times the district appears to have included the whole of North Italy from the Tiber to the Alps, but by the end of the 5th cen tury B.C. it was considerably diminished, and about the year Ioo B.C. its boundaries were the Arnus (Arno), the Apennines and the Tiber. In the division of Italy by Augustus it formed the seventh regio and extended as far north as the river Marra.
History.—The authentic history of Etruria consists mainly in the story of its relations with Carthage, Greece and Rome. At some period unknown, prior to the 6th century, the Etrurians extended their power not only northwards over, probably, Mantua, Felsina and Melpum, but also southwards into Latium and Campania. The chronology of this expansion is unknown, nor do we know for certain the names of the cities which con stituted the two leagues of twelve founded in the conquered dis tricts on the analogy of the original league in Etruria proper.
In the early history of Rome the Etruscans play a prominent part. According to tradition they were the third of the constituent elements which went to form the city of Rome. The tradition is still an unsolved problem. It is practically certain, however, that there is no foundation for the ancient theory (cf. Prop. iv. [v.] I, 31) that the third Roman tribe, known as Luceres, represented an Etruscan element of the population, and it is held by many authorities that the tradition of the Tarquin kings of Rome rep resents the temporary domination of Etruscan lords, who extended their conquests some time before 600 B.C. over Latium and Campania. This theory is corroborated by the fact that during the reigns of the Tarquin kings Rome appears as the mistress of a district including part of Etruria, several cities in Latium, and the whole of Campania, whereas our earliest picture of republi can Rome is that of a small state in the midst of enemies. For this problem see ROME : History, section The Monarchy.
After the expulsion of the Tarquins the chief events in Etruscan history are the vain attempts of the Etruscans to re-establish themselves in Rome under Lars Porsena of Clusium, the defeat of Octavius Mamilius, son-in-law of Tarquinius Superbus, at Lake Regillus, and the treaty with Carthage. This last event shows that the Etruscan power was formidable, and that by means of their fleet the Etruscans controlled the commerce of the Tyrrhenian sea. By this treaty Corsica was assigned to the Etruscans while Carthage obtained Sardinia. Soon after this decay set in. In 474 B.C. the Etruscan fleet was destroyed by Hiero I. (q.v.) of Syracuse, Etruria Circumpadana was occupied by the Gauls, the Campanian cities by the Samnites, who took Capua (see CAMPANIA) in 423, and in 396, after a ten years' siege, Veii fell to the Romans. The battle of the Vadimonian Lake (309 B.c.) finally extinguished Etruscan independence. For the archaeology, art and religion of Etruria, see ETRUSCANS.