Asia considers the Etruscans an Asian people.
M. Porcius Cato, 2nd century BC

The history of Rome, and with it the cultural development of the entire West, cannot be understood without knowledge of the civilization of the East, taken and adapted by the Etruscans to their tradition and genius.
Axel Boethius, 1958

Not only in language, but also in their way of life and customs, the Etruscans differed from all other peoples.
Dionysius of Halicarnassus, 1st century BC

Archaeological discoveries fully confirm the essential lines of this story, including its chronological context. Etruscan cultural and artistic influence is evident in Tuscany and Lazio as early as the 7th century…
Massimo Pallottino, 1980

Almost all of Italy was under the rule of the Etruscans.
M. Porcius Cato, 2nd century BC

The Etruscans’ domain extended widely by land and sea, until Rome achieved supreme dominance. The extent of their power is demonstrated by their names: one sea is called the Tyrrhenian (the Tyrrhenians are the Etruscans of the Greeks), the other the Adriatic (from Adria, an Etruscan colony).
Titus Livius, 1st century BC

So were the Romans greater than the Etruscans because they deprived them of their lives?
D.H. Lawrence, 1927

For the ancient history of Italy, the Etruscan world was as unexpected a revelation as Cretan civilization was for the ancient history of Greece. However, neither discovery has yet yielded the necessary conclusions.
Pierre Grimal, 1965

Etruria: Greece’s Italian twin in the birth and civilization of Europe.
George Dennis, 1845

The great importance of the Etruscans lies in their work of grandiose cultural mediation.
Franz Altheim, 1956

In this short article, we present a sequence of comparative historical dates linking Etruscan, Roman, Greek, and Oriental events, organized by key eras. The references are taken from the book “La Civiltà Etrusca” by Wernel Keller (Nutha, August 13, 1909 – Ascona, February 29, 1980), published in German in 1970 in Zurich by Droemer Knaur and translated into Italian in 1971 in Milan by Garzanti.

750: Appearance of the Etruscan civilization.

707: Beginning of the third Saeculum.

Hut villages on the Tiber.

Homer in Asia Minor. Greek colonies in southern Italy and Sicily. Founding of Cumae. Carthage, ruler of the western Mediterranean.

743: Tiglath-Pileser III founds the Assyrian Empire.

738-696: Midas king of Phrygia.

721: End of the kingdom of Israel.

720: The Assyrians conquer Urartu.

715: Syria, an Assyrian province.

Frescoed mounds and tombs. Princely tombs with rich grave goods. Early inscriptions.

Etruscan coastal cities with mines, industries, crafts, and international trade. Etruscan maritime power.

607: Beginning of the fourth Saeculum.

Etruscan expansion in Lazio.

625: Beginning of the Tarquinian dominion over the Tiber. Reclamation of the valleys.

607-569: King Tarquinius Priscus.

Lydian Empire in Asia Minor.

671: Assyrian conquest of Egypt.

650: Hesiod mentions the “Tyrsenians”.

625-545: Thales of Miletus. Beginning of Ionian naturalistic philosophy.

612: Fall of Nineveh, end of the Assyrian Empire.

612-539: Neo-Babylonian Empire.

Maximum expansion of the Etruscan Empire. Leagues of the Twelve Etruscan cities in the Po Valley and Campania. First trade with northern Europe, especially with the Celts.

Revolution of the Vibenna brothers against the priestly monarchy.

550: Etruscan-Carthaginian alliance against the Greeks.

540: Etruscan-Carthaginian naval victory near Alalia.

507: Beginning of the fifth Saeculum.

504: Porsenna conquers Rome. The land route to Campania is blocked.

575: Construction of the Forum by Tarquinius Priscus. Founding of Rome. Foundations of the Temple of Capitoline Jupiter. Construction of the Circus Maximus. Introduction of the triumphs and insignia of Etruria.

569-525: Servius Tullius, second Etruscan king. Construction of the Servian Wall. Centurial system.

525-509: Third Etruscan king, Tarquin the Proud. Construction of the Temple of Capitoline Jupiter and the Cloaca Maxima.

509: Expulsion of the Tarquins. Etruscan nobles proclaim the republic.

600: The Phocaeans founded Massdilia (Marseille).

594: Solon’s legislation.

587: Destruction of Jerusalem.

560-543: Croesus, king of Lydia.

538: The Persians conquer Lydia.

625: Cambyses conquers Egypt.

522-486: The Persian king Darius.

482-474: Beginning of the battles between Veii and Rome.

474: Victory of Syracuse over the Etruscan fleet near Cumae.

453: The Syracusan fleet overwhelms the Etruscan coastal cities, Elba and Corsica.

438-425: Second war between Veii and Rome.

430: Capua falls. The Samnites conquer the Twelve Etruscan cities of Campania.

428: Death of L.Tolumnio, king of Veii.

414-413: The Etruscans fight with Athens against Syracuse.

406: Beginning of the siege of Veii.

494: Sedition of the plebs.

477: Catastrophe of Fabii. Struggles with the Etruscans, Sabines, Aequi, and Volsci.

450: Lows of the Twelve Tables.

449: End of the Sabine Wars.

500-494: Ionian Revolt.

494: Destruction of Miletus.

490-448: Persian Wars.

486-465: Xerxes.

480: Greek victory at Salamis over the Persian fleet, victory of the Sicilian Greeks over the Carthaginians at Himera.

499-429: Herodotus.

478-467: Hiero of Syracuse.

447-432: Construction of the Parthenon.

446-429: Pericles in Athens.

431: Beginning of the Peloponnesian War.

427-347: Plato.

414-413: Greek expedition to Sicily.

403: Dionysius I of Syracuse, lord of Sicily.

396: Fall of Veii and Melpum. Celtic invasion of the Po Valley. Battles of Sutri and Nepi in southern Etruria.

384: Beginning of the sixth Saeculum.

374: The sack of Pyrgi by Dionysius I of Syracuse. End of Etruscan maritime rule in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

358: War of Tarquinia and Caere against Rome.

351: Forty-year armistice granted in Tarquinia. Etruscan embassy to Babylon to Alexander the Great.

308: Tarquinia obtains a forty-year armistice.

302: Social unrest in Arezzo.

387: Battle of the Allia. The Celts under Brennus lay waste to Rome.

343-341: First Samnite War.

340-338: Latin War.

336-304: Second Samnite War.

310: Incursion into the Cimina Forest.

306: Treaty between Rome and Carthage.

399: Death of Socrates.

387: Plato founds the Academy.

384-322: Aristotle.

350: Heraclitus.

336-323: Conquests of Alexander the Great.

323-280: Battles of the Diadochi.

300: Roman colony at Pyrgi. Etruscan-Gallo-Samnite coalition.

295: Defeat of Salentino.

283: Roman victory over the Etruscans and allied Gauls.

280: Fall of Vulci and Volsnii.

273: Foundation of the Roman colony of Cosa.

265: Destruction and sack of Volsnii.

247: Roman colony of Alsium.

245: Roman colony of Fregene.

225: Celtic invasion of Etruria. Battle of Talamone. The Etruscans sympathize with Hannibal. Acts of sabotage against Rome.

209: Troubles in Arezzo. Etruscan volunteers at Hasdrubal and Mago’s. High treason trials in Etruria.

205: War tributes from the Etruscan cities.

298-290: Third Samnite War.

282: Coming of Pyrrhus to Italy.

264-241: First Punic War.

264: Etruscan Games in Rome.

218-211: Second Punic War. Hannibal in Italy.

216: Battle of Cannae.

202: Battle of Zama.

270-100: Flowering and expansion of Hellenism.

191: Roman colonies of Pyrgi and Castrum Novum.

183: Roman colony of Saturnia.

181: Roman colony of Graviscae.

146: Beginning of the eighth Saeculum.

149-146: Third Punic War.

146: Destruction of Carthage.

133: Agrarian law of Tiberius Gracchus.

88: Beginning of the ninth Saeculum.

82: Sulla’s massacre in Etruria.

79: Capitulation of Volterra.

44: Beginning of the tenth Saeculum.

40: War of Perugia. Etruria becomes Region VII. Maecenas advises Augustus.

90-88: Social War. Sulla versus Marius.

83: Fire in the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus.

44: Death of Caesar.

42: Battle of Philippi.

54: End of the tenth Saeculum.

Claudio composes Tyrrhenikà.

54: Death of Claudius.

He who cannot account for three thousand years remains in the dark, unaware, living from day to day.

Goethe, 1788