The inhabitants of ancient Etruria (approximating to modern Tuscany, Italy), west of the Apennines and the River Tiber. Twelve independent cities including Vulci, Clusium, and Cortona were formed into a league and came to dominate central Italy in the 7th and 6th centuries bc. Tradition held that they came from Asia Minor in the 10th century bc, though it is now believed that they were native to Italy before that and only culturally influenced by the Greek colonies of south Italy. In the 6th century bc they were driven out of southern central Italy by the Greeks, Latins, and Samnites. In the following century their navy was defeated off Cumae. Traditionally, in 510 bc the last Etruscan king of Rome, Tarquin, was expelled. In the 4th century they were driven out of Elba and Corsica, defeated by the Gauls in 390, and finally allied themselves with Rome after defeat in 283. From this time they came under Rome’s control and began to lose their unique cultural identity.

Etruscan art reveals an aristocratic society in which women enjoyed an emancipated style of life. The Etruscan language has so far proved beyond translation; it was still spoken and written in the 1st century ad but no literature survives.