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Show 154 TilE ETRUSCANS "filius," and SEC "filia," comprised all now known in reality ofthe lost speech of the Ty1-rheni ,· we may well exclaim with the prophet, "it is an anci nt nation, a nation whose language thou knowost not." Whatever be tho pedigree of tho Etruscans, they wore a hardy and enterprising nation, full of energy and skill, ready to receive improvements from for ign populations, oven i·f, in their institutions, they wore rath r conservative. IIi story sl1ows them as a free, ari stocratic, and manufhctnring nation, characterized by a marked practi cal tendency, by little idealism and fooling for beauty, but much ingenuity in applying art to household purposes and to the comfort of private lif . They wore, in fact, the Englisli of autiquity,-but they had not tho good luck of tho British islanders to be surrounded by tho sea, and thus to have enjoyed the possibility of maintaining and developing their independence without foreign intervention. Few dangers threatened the Etrnscans fr m tho north : they protected themselves suil1ci ntly against tho incursions of savage Gauls, by fortifying their towns, tl10 cyclopean walls of which are still tho wonder of tho traveller. It was princi1 ally towards tho south that they bad to contend with powerful foes. 'l'he maritime state~:~ of Cumro, Corinth, Syracuse, and Carthage, interfered with the extension of Etruscan naval entcl'pri so, and prevented its fnll development on the Adriatic and on tho Modit rrauean. Still, tho Etruscans were strong enouO'h to defend th ir own co~st, and to exclude tho establishment of ind~pon~ ent Greek ancll umc settlements on the 'l'uscau territory. A more Important ~nd finally fatal. enemy arose in their immediate vicinity, -Rome, With her populatiOn of hardy agriculturists, and a senate bent npon con~nest aud annexation. Accordingly, wars recurred from time, to tim?, from tho foundation of the city until 120 n. o., when tho 'Iyrrheman country was finally annexed to Rome. Novorth loss, tho city on the Tiber had long previously felt tho influence of. the Etruscans in her institutions ' laws , and rel1'g1·on . Et1·u u.· a gave king.s an~. senators .to .r:-ome. ller sacerdotal rites, her works of publtc uLiltty, tho d1gmfiod costume of official splendor and apparently .o~on that universal popular garb, the toga, were ~11 of Etruscan or1gm. Thoro ar~ pr~ncipally three features in the history of Etruria, which had a pecuhar.mfluonco on its art. Being of mixed M·igin themselves tho .Tuscans displayed a. greater receptivHy of exotic influences, tha~ mo~o homo~onoous nat10ns, who feel always a kind of repulsion agamst ~ore~gnors. Being exposed to the attacks of the Gauls, the ~lad to lwe %n towns,· and therefore commerce and manufacturiny mdustry wore of greater importance among them than a .· lt g La tl t1 • 1 • guou ure. • s y, ne2r mstory p1·esents no epocli of g1·eat national triumplts, ole- AND 'l'IlEIR ART. 155 m 0~-:nuAun, Sjormateimmagini i11 Bronzo, Bulletino dell' Instituto, 1830, p. 11; nnd Etrurisclte Spicgelzeiclmu·rgm, Chnp. 1. |