The Early Influences of Rome

The early influences of Rome, according to the text, were the people of Etruia and Greece. It is said that it all started in the southernmost Etruscan centers[1]. These places, Caere, Tarquinii, Vulci, and Veii, were the first city-states to be formed. It wasn’t long before the great city of Rome would rise. In this essay, we will briefly comment on the founders of Rome and their influences. Taking each part of history step by step hoping to uncover the secrets of Rome’s first steps towards become a great empire. The first thought of discussion will be on the Etruscans, the people of Etruia. The Etruscans played music, danced, did acrobatics, and held foot and chariot races[2]. This group of people were incredibly advanced. However, after reading a series of articles and text about these people, there is no real answer as to where they originated. According to Herodotus, the Etruscans originated in Lydia, in Asia Minor. He also continues to say that due to a famine in the area, they invented a number of games to take their minds off the lack of food.[3] Although Herodotus’ accounts may have been inaccurate, the features of the Etruscan people do prove that half of his theory was correct. Other historians of his time also claimed the same thing. Hesiod and Homer mention that the Etruscans came “from the period around 750 BCE in Ionian Greece, part of Asia Minor.”[4] However just like Herodotus, their records might be inaccurate. One piece of evidence that most historians agree on would be the Etruscan connection to the famous Pelasgians or Sea people of Lemmons. In the online article titled, The Origins of the Etruscan, it states, “ some Greeks and Etruscans were the branch of the Pelasgians, aboriginal inhabitants of the Aegean region.”[5] There is also a mention of Virgil who agrees with Herodotus in some ways, saying that they came from Lydia, a kingdom of western Anatolia. But we’ve learned from text not to trust the