J - 206 : Etruscan Mariners in the Tyrrhenian

hbanziger
6 hours ago
5 min read

Etruscan Buccheri (simple pottery) exported to Sardinia, now in the National Archeology Museum in Calgari

At times, I stumble on fascinating facts which stare into my face for years without me noticing. Happened again last week when I wrote about Campi Flegrei, the large cauldron west of Naples. As I was searching for craters, I came across the Greek colony of Cumae, a settlement with acropolis, port and long town walls. In 474 BC, 6 years after the Athenians destroyed the Persian Fleet at Salamis, the naval battle of Cumae took place here. It had important consequences. A Greek fleet from Magna Graecia, led by Syracuse, destroyed the entire Etruscan fleet.

Cumae was the first Greek Colony on Mainland Italy. It

was founded in 900 BC by Settlers from Euboea

Had completely missed this part of the Etruscan story. Never read a book or a research paper about Etruscan mariners. Always assumed that Etruscans lived in the hills and mountains of the Italian peninsula or in towns like Volterra or Otranto. Were there Etruscan ports? Of course – I just never heard of one. Now I wonder why Phoenicians and Greek came to dominate the Western Mediterranean. Was their naval technology so advanced that locals could not compete? Did people living on the coast of the western Med saw no need to explore beyond the horizon of their shores?

Painting of a Commercial Vessel in the Tomb of the Etruscan Ship

Turns out that I should have paid attention to the word Tyrrhenian - which I spelled wrong many times in my blogs. My focus on orthography seems to have clouded my curiosity. I believed some Greek geographer named these waters west of Italy simply “non-Greek”, thus “Tyrrhenian”. Whilst not entirely wrong , the explanation falls short. The Greek word “Tyrrhenian” had several, related meanings and was also used for “pirates” and “ people from walled cities ”.

The Etruscans were a Federation of City States - Dark

Brown = 7th Centurt BC, Hatched Brown = 5th Century

Greek mariners were the first to use it and called people on Italy’s west coast “Tyrrhenians”. Soon, by the 8^th century BC, the word became generic and was used for all Etruscans. Ha! Never thought of that.

Upon further research I found more fascinating facts:

Since neolithic times, people around the Tyrrhenian Sea traded with the rest of the Mediterranean. The main reason was obsidian glass from Lipari, an ideal material for cutting tools. We will see many examples in week 2 when visiting the Aeolian Islands, Volcano, Lipari and its local Museum.

Minoan Trade Routes in the 2nd Millenia BC reached the Tyrrhenian Sea - Photo

from the Archeological Museum in Heraklion

In the 2^nd Millenia, the Minoans were frequent visitors to the Tyrrhenian. On their long ships, they brought copper, tin, wine, olive oil and fine pottery. The locals must have taken note how the Minoans built these ships from Cypress trees tied together by rope and canvass. A technology they could copy and improve on given the abundant supply of Mediterranean Pines from their forests.

Artist Impression of an Etruscan Merchant Ship. The Design does not fundamentally

differ from a Warship except for the Ram

After the collapse of the Bronze Age, by the 10^th century BC, the Phoenicians showed up on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea. They also improved Minoan naval technology. Made from sturdy Lebanon cedars, their vessels were longer and wider. Keel, planks, ribs and masts were joined by wooden “plugs”. The ship’s hull was sealed with hemp and pine tar. The new technology allowed the Phoenicians to make longer warships, eventually the Trireme, and wider commercial vessels which were only powered by sails. Again, the Tyrrhenians were skilled students and copied what was useful.

The Etruscan Trade Network tied Northern Europe to the Mediterranean

By the 9^th century, the Greek mariners encountered the “Tyrrhenians” for the first time. They were surprised by their agility at sea and called them “scoundrels of the Sea” – seems not all the encounters were peaceful. Hence “Tyrrhenian” also took the meaning of pirates. But the Etruscans learned quickly that trade is more lucrative than piracy. They exported iron tools, goods imported from north of the Alps (amber), and food stuff whilst buying bronze, pottery, slaves and raw materials. Trade reached never seen peaks in the 7^th century.

This early Roman Pentecotera looks like an Etruscan

Warship. They had only 1 or 2 Rows of Oars. It is said

that Etruscans invented the Ram to sink other Ships

With trade came also foreign influence. The Etruscan used the Greek alphabet to write, built temples not only for their own Gods but also for Phoenicians and Greek Deities. They embraced the cultivation of olive trees and wines. Greek and Phoenicians were allowed to settle in Etruscan port towns who established diplomatic relations with Greek towns in Magna Graecia and the Phoenician colonies in Carthage.

An Example of Etruscan Language written in Greek Letters

Trade brought wealth to the Etruscans who expanded their control to the north and the south. Even Latin speaking Rome was under their control for 200 years. But the Etruscans were never a centralized state but a federation of 12 powerful cities. They could easily defend their own turf, but expansion was another matter. The 12 cities never had a common foreign policy. When the Etruscan fleet was defeated at Cumae in 474 BC, there was no political will to build a new one. Within 100 years, Etruscan influence waned. The conquest by Rome had started. Etruscan culture was absorbed into Roman culture – so well indeed that not many remains are left today.

Artist Impression of a Battle between Etruscan and Greek Triremes. The Etruscans had no Triremes though - their Warship had mostly one Row of Oars

The history of Etruscan mariners shows the limits to naval power. Only a wealthy and centralized state has sufficient resources to build a “blue navy” able to operate far away from home shores. Athens’ triremes, the “Dreadnought” of its times, were built with silver from Attica. The Phoenicians’ Triremes with Gold from the Persian Empire. Syracuse’s Navy with the revenue from its grain exports. Carthage’s fleet with the fat profit from its vast east – west trading operations. The loose federation of Etruscan towns could not match these resources. As a side note, the same is still true today. Only the super wealthy USA has a proper “blue water” navy. China is trying but it will take a while.