The Etrusco-Italic Temple and Its Roman Legacy
Open Access
- Author:
- Falcone, Jay
- Graduate Program:
- Anthropology (MA)
- Degree:
- Master of Arts
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- March 31, 2024
- Committee Members:
- Jake Nabel, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
James Doyle, Committee Member
Tim Ryan, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- Etruscan
Italy
Rome
Roman History
Etruscan History
Classical Studies
Classics
Architecture
Architectural History
Roman Architecture - Abstract:
- This paper explores the often-overlooked architectural and cultural impact of the ancient Central Italic temple architecture, originating in the 7th century BCE through the cultural convergence of the neighboring Etruscan and Roman civilizations. Variously defined by Etruscologists and Roman historians as Etrusco-Italic or Central Italic, the designation of this form as “Etrusco-Italic” better suits the resulting cultural interplay between Etruscan, Roman, and Greek, each leaving their distinct mark on the temple’s form. Until the second half of the 20th century, classical scholars neglected the study of early Etrusco-Italic temples due to their poor state of preservation due to the use of perishable materials such as wood and mud brick in their construction. In recent years, reevaluations of these temple sites, as well as new excavations and 3D modeling by archaeologists have led us to better understand their development and resulting stylistic nuances. This paper will trace the spatial and temporal development of the Etrusco-Italic temple, with the canonization of the typical (though no two are exactly alike) Etrusco-Italic temple from the 7th through 5th centuries BCE, providing well-studied examples, as well as its continued legacy into the 1st century BCE, as the form evolved under Hellenistic influence. The only contemporary description of this temple type is from 1st century Roman architect, Vitruvius, labeled the “Tuscanicae dispositions” in his formative treatise. To Vitruvius and his peers, the Etrusco-Italic temples of the Orientalizing and Archaic Periods appeared both venerable and ancient, harkening to the founding of Rome and their proud ancestral connection to the innovative Etruscans, but also antiquated and deserving of renovation in the opulent materials better suited to the formidability of their new Empire. Regardless, the Etrusco-Italic form is truly an autochthonous exhibit of Italic style which stood apart from Hellenistic influence. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of Etrusco-Roman relations, and how these ancient populations viewed themselves within their cultural context.