All of the ancient languages of the Italian peninsula, apart from Latin and Greek (the Griko dialect in the fringes of southern Italy) died out after the Roman Empire. The Etruscan language survived up until 50 CE at least, and the Etruscans as a cultural identity apparently still existed at the time of Alaric the Goth in the 5th Century. How can we get a minority of Etruscan-speakers to survive as a distinct ethnolinguistic minority until the modern day? What impact would it have?
Etruscan survival
- Thread starter pa_dutch
- Start date
Let me make it clear: I'm not looking for the survival of Etruscans as an independent civilization. I'm looking for the survival of Etruscans as a minority language and culture following the rise of Rome, not unlike the Greeks of southern Italy, the Bretons in France, the Romansch in Switzerland, the Sorbs in Germany, or at largest, like the Basques or the Welsh.
The problem with that is the Carthaginians are dominant in Sardinia. If the Etruscans were able to control parts of it and kick off Carthaginian rule, they could survive there. I think Corsica or somewhere in the Po Valley would be better, but then you would need to defeat the Celts.
I think the Po valley isn't really suitable; because of its good agricultural potential, it's pretty much guaranteed to be one of the heartlands of an Italian state (ditto Etruria, for that matter), whereas surviving minority languages generally do so in the out-of-the-way fringe areas.
Corsica, OTOH, would be a very good choice for a surviving Etruscan language.
Grey Wolf
Donor
Isn't the problem that the Etruscan ruling class became enmeshed with the Roman ruling class and when the latter rejected them, Romanisation became the prevailing concern of the Republic
If the Etruscans kept themselves separate from Rome, how would that pan out? Could there have been a more closely integrated Etruscan Confederation? What would Rome have developed into without its Etruscan rulers, and with a more Southern focus?
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
If the Etruscans kept themselves separate from Rome, how would that pan out? Could there have been a more closely integrated Etruscan Confederation? What would Rome have developed into without its Etruscan rulers, and with a more Southern focus?
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
Could the Romans resettle some Etruscans there after taking the island from the Carthaginians as an attempt to undermine the Carthaginian culture on the island?
Maybe, but they'd be more likely to settle the island with Romans/Latins. A better POD would be to have the Etruscans conquer it some time before they get conquered by Rome.
I am not sure why would Roman re-settle Etruscanss instead Romans. And wasn't Etruscian language declining on this point?