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https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.785#0057
introduction.] LITERATURE AND SCIENCE OF ETRURIA.
lvii
much may be inferred of the character of its civilization. With
such shackles as were imposed on it, it was impossible for the
Etruscan mind, individually or collectively, to reach the highest
degree of cultivation to which society, even in those early ages,
attained. The intellect of Etruria, when removed from the
sciences and arts, and purely practical applications, was too
much absorbed in the mysteries of divination and the jug-
gleries of priestcraft. Even art was fettered by conventionalities,
imposed, it seems, by her religious system. Yet there is
recorded evidence that she possessed a national literature—
histories,1 tragedies,2 poems ; 3 besides religious and ritual
books;4 and the Romans used to send their sons into the land
of their hereditary foes to study its literature and language,5
just as in later times the " old Christians " of Spain sent their
y outh to receive a knightly education at the Moslem courts of
Cordoba and Granada.
History, moreover, attests the eminence of the Etruscans in
navigation and military tactics,6 agriculture, medicine, and other
1 Varro, ap. Censorin. XVII. 6. Poly-
bius (II. 17) speaks of histories of the
Etruscan dynasties. There was also an
historian of the name of Vegoja, a frag-
ment of whose work is extant. See
Miiller, IV. 5, 3; 7,8.
2 Varro (Ling. Lat. V. 55) mentions
Volnius, or Volumnius, a writer of
Etruscan tragedies.
3 The Peseennines, or songs of raillery,
were Etruscan. See Vol. I. p. 152.
The Etruscan Mstrwws or actors, danced
and sang to the sound of the double-
pipes. Liv. VII. 2. In their religious
services also the Etruscans sang hymns
to the honour of their gods or heroes.
Dion. Hal. I. p. 17; Serv. ad Ma.
VIII. 285. Lucretius (VI. 381) speaks
of "Tyrrhena carmina" on divination
by lightning. Miiller, IV. 5,1.
4 The sacred or ritual books of the
Etruscans are mentioned under many
names by ancient writers—libri Etrusci
—cbartee Etruscae—scripta Etrusca—
Tusci libelli—Etruscse disciplines libri
—libri fatales, rituales, haruspicini,
fulgurales—libri Tagetici—sacra Tage-
tica—sacra Acherontica—libri Ache-
rontici—Liv. V. 15 ; Cicero de Divin.
I. 12, 33,44; II. 23; Juven. Sat.
XIII. 62 ; Festus, v. rituales; Macrob.
Sat. III. 7 ; V. 19 ; Serv. ad Virg. Ma.
I. 42; HI. 537 ; VIII. 398 ; Flin. II.
85; Arnob. adv. Nat. II. 62; Fulgent, v.
Manales (cited by Miiller, III. 2, 6) ;
Amm. Marcell. XVII. 10. The author
of these sacred works on the " Etruscan
Discipline," was supposed to be Tages.
The names of Tarquitius, Caecina, Aguila,
Labeo, Begoe, Umbricius, are given as
writers on these subjects, probably com-
mentators on Tages.
s Liv. IX. 36 ; Cicero, de Divin. 1.41;
Val. Max. I. 1, 1.
6 The Etruscans were forages "lords
of the sea." Diod. Sic. V. pp. 295, 300,
316 ; Strabo, V. p. 222. They rivalled
the Phoenicians in enterprise, founding
colonies in the islands of the Tyrrhene
Sea, and even on the coast of Spain,
lvii
much may be inferred of the character of its civilization. With
such shackles as were imposed on it, it was impossible for the
Etruscan mind, individually or collectively, to reach the highest
degree of cultivation to which society, even in those early ages,
attained. The intellect of Etruria, when removed from the
sciences and arts, and purely practical applications, was too
much absorbed in the mysteries of divination and the jug-
gleries of priestcraft. Even art was fettered by conventionalities,
imposed, it seems, by her religious system. Yet there is
recorded evidence that she possessed a national literature—
histories,1 tragedies,2 poems ; 3 besides religious and ritual
books;4 and the Romans used to send their sons into the land
of their hereditary foes to study its literature and language,5
just as in later times the " old Christians " of Spain sent their
y outh to receive a knightly education at the Moslem courts of
Cordoba and Granada.
History, moreover, attests the eminence of the Etruscans in
navigation and military tactics,6 agriculture, medicine, and other
1 Varro, ap. Censorin. XVII. 6. Poly-
bius (II. 17) speaks of histories of the
Etruscan dynasties. There was also an
historian of the name of Vegoja, a frag-
ment of whose work is extant. See
Miiller, IV. 5, 3; 7,8.
2 Varro (Ling. Lat. V. 55) mentions
Volnius, or Volumnius, a writer of
Etruscan tragedies.
3 The Peseennines, or songs of raillery,
were Etruscan. See Vol. I. p. 152.
The Etruscan Mstrwws or actors, danced
and sang to the sound of the double-
pipes. Liv. VII. 2. In their religious
services also the Etruscans sang hymns
to the honour of their gods or heroes.
Dion. Hal. I. p. 17; Serv. ad Ma.
VIII. 285. Lucretius (VI. 381) speaks
of "Tyrrhena carmina" on divination
by lightning. Miiller, IV. 5,1.
4 The sacred or ritual books of the
Etruscans are mentioned under many
names by ancient writers—libri Etrusci
—cbartee Etruscae—scripta Etrusca—
Tusci libelli—Etruscse disciplines libri
—libri fatales, rituales, haruspicini,
fulgurales—libri Tagetici—sacra Tage-
tica—sacra Acherontica—libri Ache-
rontici—Liv. V. 15 ; Cicero de Divin.
I. 12, 33,44; II. 23; Juven. Sat.
XIII. 62 ; Festus, v. rituales; Macrob.
Sat. III. 7 ; V. 19 ; Serv. ad Virg. Ma.
I. 42; HI. 537 ; VIII. 398 ; Flin. II.
85; Arnob. adv. Nat. II. 62; Fulgent, v.
Manales (cited by Miiller, III. 2, 6) ;
Amm. Marcell. XVII. 10. The author
of these sacred works on the " Etruscan
Discipline," was supposed to be Tages.
The names of Tarquitius, Caecina, Aguila,
Labeo, Begoe, Umbricius, are given as
writers on these subjects, probably com-
mentators on Tages.
s Liv. IX. 36 ; Cicero, de Divin. 1.41;
Val. Max. I. 1, 1.
6 The Etruscans were forages "lords
of the sea." Diod. Sic. V. pp. 295, 300,
316 ; Strabo, V. p. 222. They rivalled
the Phoenicians in enterprise, founding
colonies in the islands of the Tyrrhene
Sea, and even on the coast of Spain,