Essay

Etruscan| Fall | Essay

**What are the most significant lessons that our world today can learn from the fall of the Etruscan peoples? ** The Etruscan Peoples were an affluent society rich with both knowledge and power. We still study their remains and artefacts today and count their art among some of world's greatest. The Etruscans were gifted sea warriors and merchants who made many treaties with surrounding Peoples. Unfortunately, the Classical Age (480 BC – 320 BC) marks the beginning of the end of Etruscan culture. After 320 BC they were slowly absorbed by the Romans. __I think that the most significant lesson we can learn from the Etruscans is that in order to have a sustainable culture you need to have healthy internal and external relations.__  We can learn a lot about foreign relations from the Etruscans. Powerful sea merchants and warriors, many of their contracts and talks revolved around ownership and regulation of waterways. The Etruscan sea ports generated a lot of wealth and were of great cultural and economic significance to the Etruscans. The only surviving proof of the Etruscan treaties can be found in the treaty with Carthage about restrictions on water ports. Another successful treaty was the Etruscan-Greek peace treaty that prevented war on both sides. Etruria must have been gifted with wise politicians and delegates because of the sophistication and strategy of their treaties.  Etruscan city states were integral to the success of Etruria. The city states can be grouped together in a federation much like that of the Iroquois. The twelve cities met once a year to discuss pressing matters and elect a leader. Democracy is the lifeblood of strong civilizations and the Etruscans practiced democratic techniques. The city states allowed Etruscan issues to be prioritized and helped create a strong Etruscan identity. The city states had a high level of communication between them and this helped settle disputes and forge trade relations. Some historians say that Etruria possessed one of the first parliamentary democracies [2] and used it to their advantage.  Compared with modern culture, the Etruscans were a highly adaptable people. A prime example of this can be found in the re-purposing of Tarquinia. [1] Once the southern city states lost control of their maritime supremacy Etruria was forced to seek out new resources in their rural territories. After focusing on urban areas for so long the Etruscans had let their other resources languish and never realized their full potential. Between the fifth and fourth centuries a massive re population of the countryside took place and many new city states were founded. This was a massive task and we can barely begin to appreciate the effort it took. The relocated people then began farming using sustainable techniques that were very advanced for their time. This new-found success as a People let the Etruscans develop a strong middle class that was awarded land and equal civil rights. I think this is essential to learn from as our own modern world's middle class starts to disapeer.  In conclusion, cultural stability can be applied to our modern Canadian civilization. It is extremely important to study past civilizations and glean helpful knowledge from them. Our own country could earn a thing or two about foreign relations from the Etruscans and we could definitely take some tips on how to create an equal Canada. The Etruscans are a wonderful culture who deserve to be studied because they continue to contribute to society.  [1] Borrelli, Ferderica, and Maria Cristina Targia. __The Etruscans: Art,__ __Architecture, and History__. Milan: Getty Publications, 2003.  [2] Haynes, Sybille. __Etruscan Civilization: A Cultural History__. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Trust, 2000. 