Calendar of Events

The Etruscans

Everyone knows something about the ancient Greeks and Romans, yet few know about the Etruscans. Based in the area north and west of Rome, which would become known as Tuscany, the Etruscans were active by the eighth century BCE and occupied a territory with twelve major cities. They interacted extensively with other civilizations but were a unique society with their own distinctive language, culture and religion. Because the Etruscan language remains undeciphered, much remains unknown about this fascinating civilization. But we can begin to understand them through literary texts by Greek and Roman authors like Herodotus and Livy who provide glimpses of the Etruscans and archaeological evidence left behind by the Etruscans themselves, especially their lavish burials and tomb complexes. This two-week forum led by Angela Ziskowski, provost and dean of the faculty and associate professor of history, will provide an overview of what is known about the ancient Etruscan civilization. We will examine the language the Etruscans spoke, the gods they worshiped, the political organization of their city-states, the beautiful art they produced, why they disappeared and their influence on Roman and later Italian society. In the first session, we will introduce the origins of the Etruscans, the geographic organization of their civilization, the structure of their government and religion, their interactions with contemporaneous Greek and Near Eastern civilizations and their still undeciphered language. The second session will explore Etruscan influence on what would be Roman civilization. It will explain which aspects of early Roman government and culture come from Etruscan practices, how and why the Etruscans disappeared and which elements of their civilization left a lasting mark.

Thursday Forum is held in Kesler Auditorium on the first floor of Hickok Hall. Each weekly session begins with registration and refreshments from 8:45-9:15 AM, followed by the lecture until 11:30 AM. The presentations blend lecture, media such as film and music, and discussion.

Admission to each four-week forum series is $40. Admission to individual lectures and one- and two-week forums is $12 per week. Admission includes the lecture and morning refreshments of coffee, tea and pastries. Payment can be made in person on Thursday mornings by cash or personal check. Credit card payments can be processed by registering online in advance at www.coe.edu/thursday-forum. For more information, visit the Thursday Forum website or call 319.399.8523.

In the event of inclement weather, consult local media outlets to find out if the day’s forum will take place.

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