Etrusken

Product Description

Relieve one of the high points of European civilization in an utterly engrossing look at the Etruscans, whose sophisticated culture laid the foundations for the great Roman Empire. Extraordinary finds in northern Italy reveal the startling story of Europes original hedonists & first superpower. The fun-loving Etruscans invented two spectator sports: gladiatorial combat & chariot racing. They had an alphabet based on the Greek alphabet, a powerfully original sculptural & painting tradition, a religion based on human-type gods which they had learned from the Greeks, & a complicated set of rituals for divining the future, which they handed down to the Romans. From their territories in modern-day Tuscany, they became the envy of the Meditrerranean. They grew wealthy from trade, agricultural & mining, indulged in banqueting & sporting games, created elegant art & built some of Romes most important landmarks. Yet their origins, & the reason for their dramatic.. .