The Etruscans – a Society of Masters and Servants? A Modern Topos and its Origins

A pervasive modern narrative portraying Etruscan society as rigidly divided between masters and servants is challenged by new research, which traces the origins of this 'two-class topos' from 19th-century scholarship to contemporary interpretations. While ancient literary sources and theories about Etruscan immigration have long fueled this perspective, a critical reassessment reveals its limitations. The study instead advocates for deeper engagement with Etruscan source material, exemplified by an analysis of the late Etruscan necropolis at Fondo Scataglini in Tarquinia, to better understand societal hierarchies without relying on problematic ancient accounts.

Amann, P. (2024). The Etruscans – a Society of Masters and Servants? A Modern Topos and its Origins. Dependency and Social Inequality in Pre-Roman Italy, 15–48. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111558417-002