The culture that is now called Etruscan developed in north-central Italy about 800 B.C.E. The Etruscans most likely originated in Turkey or elsewhere in southwest Asia, although when they migrated to Italy is not clear. The Etruscans spoke a language that was very different from Greek and Latin, but they adopted the Greek alphabet to write their language.

The Etruscans established permanent settlements that evolved into cities resembling the Greek city-states (see “Organization of the Polis” in Chapter 5). They spread their influence over the surrounding countryside, which they farmed and mined for its rich mineral resources. From an early period the Etruscans began to trade natural products, especially iron, with their Greek neighbors to the south and with other peoples throughout the Mediterranean in exchange for luxury goods. Etruscan cities appear to have been organized in leagues, and beginning about 750 B.C.E. the Etruscans expanded southward into central Italy through military actions and through the establishment of colony cities. In the process they encountered a small collection of villages subsequently called Rome.