Etruscan Women

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Etruscan Women

• Images of an Egalitarian Society

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• Although we have many inscriptions in the
  Etruscan Language, we cannot read it.
• Consequently most of our information about the
  Etruscans comes from
• Their art
• Prejudiced accounts by Romans, for whom they were
  the bad guys of history and
• Prejudiced accounts by the Greeks, who were
  scandalized by the freedoms of the women

Small Etruscan bust of Juno, 300-100 BCE
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The Etruscans shared in the culture of the 6th
century BCE and later Mediterranean. Their art
was influenced by Greeks they made statues in
Terracotta very similar in style to what the
Greeks made in marble.
They imported a lot of Greek pottery, and as with
other Italian cultures, some of their own wares
resembled Greek work.
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This map shows the extent of the Etruscan area of
political influence in the 6-5 cent. BCE. There
were other Etruscan holdings to the south as well.
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Womens Standing
Many of the mirrors have inscriptions identifying
the mythological characters. This shows that
women were expected to easily combine their
interest in beauty with literacy. Womens tombs
are as rich and as common as mens, and womens
artifacts are prevalent. Women were apparently
equal sharers in the societys resources.
Womens names and images show up frequently in
inscriptions as well, showing their claim to
public honor.
Mirrors like this one, incised with mythological
themes, are a popular Etruscan item.
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This ivory pyxis (makeup box) was very valuable
the materials were imported from Egypt and the
decorations beautifully carved. The animal motifs
are a common Etruscan theme. Notice the Mistress
of Animals figure on the bottom row.
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This scene from a tomb painting shows women and
men both sharing in a banquet. A nude slave boy
serves them. This was scandalous to the Greeks
who visited Etruria, since they were unaccustomed
to men and women sharing such celebrations.
Theopompus (4th c. BCE) was appalled!
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Most of the Etruscan art that survives is
funerary art, simply because the tombs, buried
for 2000 years, remained intact. Funerary art
may show a different realm of experience from
other forms of art. One consistent theme
throughout Etruscan art seems to be the shared
affection of husband and wife.
Sarcophagi such as this one show them in a fond
embrace, the husbands arm protectively around
the wife, as they recline on a banquet couch.
The same togetherness found in the banquet
continues into the afterlife.
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Some Etruscan sarcophagi show couples nude or
lightly covered, indication that in iconography
at least, female nudity was similar in meaning to
male nudity and implied, probably, pleasure and
fertility. Theopompus also comments that the
Etruscans raise all the children who are born,
not knowing whose they are. Did women have the
legal right to decide this issue?
Theopompus says that the Etruscans practice wife
sharing (not strictly for procreation either),
and that the women exercise, take care of their
bodies, and expose them casually.
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On this sarcophagus, the couple is shown
embracing in bed. Married sexuality and
friendship extends into death. Apparently
assertions of pleasure (dancing, sex, banquets)
were important elements of the Etruscan response
to the finality of death as well as of their
lifestyle (if you believe Theopompus . . .)
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OK, not all Etruscans are young and beautiful,
even on their sarcophagi . . .
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Like the Greeks and Romans, Etruscans had
athletic events and public entertainments. In
contrast to Greek practice (but aligned with
Roman custom) Etruscan women attended athletic
events and games their art sometimes shows them
in the audience.
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Music and Dancing
Both men and women are shown dancing sometimes
female professional dancers seem to be
portrayed. What is the status of these
entertainers? Is it comparable to that of Greek
dancer/musicians?
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This lampstand portrays a female dancer playing
cymbals, a custom the Greeks and Romans
associated with the East. Linguistically and in
some elements of material culture, the Etruscans
may be related to the peoples of Asia Minor.
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This modernized rendition of an Etruscan tomb
painting shows a very expressive dance. Is it in
a funerary context? Does it represent social or
ritual dancing? Is the performer professional or
an individual associated with the deceased on
whose tomb the painting was found? Why is dance
so commonly portrayed in tombs?
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In another tomb painting, men and women dance
together in this expressive mode.
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Here a line dance of young women is shown. Such
dances were common throughout the Mediterranean
and Europe (and in many other societies as
well). The Greeks (cf. Alkmans Parthenaia)
celebrated their maidens dances the Romans were
not very focused on this sort of entertainment.
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This tomb painting shows an explicit sexual
scene. Note also the lower border design which
has a distinctly erotic flavor. Another tomb
painting shows a scene of two men, one
penetrating and one receiving oral sex from a
woman, both whipping her scholars think this
might portray a Dionysian rite or are we back
in the erotic world of the Greek hetaira? Other
tombs show other erotic scenes, including male
homoeroticism.
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Etruscan Religion
Etruscan religion included a system of learning
the will of the gods, haruspicy, which meant
reading omens from many different sources, among
them the entrails of sacrificial animals. The
Etruscans (under Greek influence?) also
personified their gods, though like the Romans,
the equivalence wasnt too good. In the center
of each Etruscan center was a temple dedicated to
the Triad of Tinia (Juppiter), Uni (Juno) and
Minerva.
This mirror shows Chalchas (from Greek mythology)
reading omens in the Etruscan fashion
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Juno
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Etruscan iconography of their gods could be very
different from the Greek. Here the sun god Usil
(not looking too much like Apollo) runs across
the waves in winged shoes.
In this mirror, Minerva assists Hercules.
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Some Etruscan sanctuaries show many kourotrophos
figurines, with votive figurines of men, women,
children and animals, highlighting the Etruscan
focus on family affection.
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This woman holds a pomegranate in her hand, a
symbol often associated with Kore/ Persephone,
who was widely worshipped among South Italian
Greeks. Perhaps the Etruscans also favored this
goddess with votive images.
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This ivory figurine of a nude woman is a theme
not commonly seen in Greek or Roman art, but
apparently fairly common for the Etruscans. It
uses some of the conventions for portraying nude
men again indicating that female nudity had a
different meaning for the Etruscans than for the
Greeks Romans. She holds a breast with one
hand, and a fruit (pomegranate? Apple?) with her
other both fertility indicators. The figurine
may represent the Etruscan Venus (Aphrodite)
Aphrodite was shown nude in Greek and Roman art,
though in more directly sensual contexts.
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Etruscans and Romans
In contrast to Roman naming practices, Etruscans
gave their children a wide variety of names (more
like Greek practice) Apparently (from
inscriptional evidence) womens names were also
important in describing family genealogy. Women
apparently passed their social rank to their
children (in contrast to Rome where the fathers
family officially mattered).
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The Etruscans had an alliance of cities, which
were ruled by kings, and early in Romes history,
Rome was subject to Etruscan rule. Roman history
abounds with stories of Etruscan oppression and
tyranny, along with dislike of kings as opposed
to the Romans Republican mode of
government. Women are often the key symbolic
figures in such stories. Roman women such as
Lucretia and Cloelia exhibit Roman virtues and
inspire Roman political acts.
Etruscan women, such as Tanaquil, symbolized to
the Romans the proud dominance of the enemy.
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Tanaquil read the omen that made her husband,
Lucius Tarquinius, the king of Rome. Her ability
in reading omens may signify a difference in
Etruscan and Roman views of womens sacred
abilities. In both societies, reading omens was
important for many public events the microcosm
and macrocosm reflected the ordinary cosmos. But
in Rome, men were the augurs women may have
shared that ability in Etruria.
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The End of Etruscan Dominance
Although Etruscan langauge persisted into the
second century BCE, their culture waned and was
incorporated into the Roman world.
Etruscan military expansion occurred at a time
when most of the other peoples of Italy were less
wealthy and less technically advanced. It was
led by individual kings or leaders, rather than
the focus of the entire people. After a defeat by
Greeks in Syracuse, Etruscan power waned. By c.
350 BCE, Romans had asserted their dominance in
Italy.
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finis
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