Rome, the eternal (part 1).

Maquette of Rome, Times of Constantine, by Italo Gismondi, ca. 1937.
Photo: Annie Dalbera, 2011. Lic. CC BY 2.0

Rome exerted an undeniable influence over the so called "Western culture". For several centuries, they imposed an omnimode power, ruling most part of the known world. In History, it would never happen again... The Pax Romana, despite all its faults, induced a cultural unit trending, along their vast domains. Of course, that finally brought interesting consequences. Later, when the roman empire decayed and fell, came stagnation times. But, the human spirit carried their good seed. 

During the second millennium before Christ, nothing could foretell that in the middle of an almost wild land, would arise the most powerful nation of the ancient times. By then, the advanced civilizations of the Valley of the Nile, Crete and Eastern Asia were blooming. Dispersed and uncivilized tribes were the inhabitants the Italian peninsula. But, that situation would change radically, by the year 1200 bC. From the North, came violent invaders. With their iron weapons, overwhelmed everything in their path. It was the twilight of the Bronze Era.

Some of those old nations saw their foundations cracked, others faded forever. Nonetheless, in Italy, something different happened, due to their relative backwardness. The tough invaders, were more civilized than the rustic people of those territories. It gave them a possitive cultural impulse. 

At Villanova, near Bologne, appeared their first significant settlement, so they received the name of Villanovan culture. Nowadays, it is accepted that the Etruscan (the first remarkable native civilization in Italy), descended from the old villanovans. However, they had a marked eastern influence, specifically from Asia Minor. It could be due to their commercial relation, but also might be a consequence of human displacements. 

By the middle of the 8th century bC. the Etruscan ruled over the central territories of the Italian peninsula. To the South, the Greeks had prospered at the zone known as the Magna Graecia. Meanwhile, Carthage maintained its influence, to the west of the island of Sicily. It was the time of the foundation of Rome, just to the south of the Etruscan domains, on April 21st of the year 753 bC. according to the tradition. It seems very possible that was formed from the merger of some small villages, between the hills and the Tiber river banks. It was the so called Roma Quadrata, whose exact location is not known. Rome began to grow from the seven famous hills, providing the city a privileged defensive position. 

A view of the Tiber river, with the broken bridge and the Aventine, ca. 1680.
By Gaspar van Wittel. Source: Web Gallery of Art {{PD-US}}

  
Placed in the Lazio region, twenty eight kilometers from the Tyrrhenian Sea, Rome was under the area of influence of a city-state confederation. It was the Latin League, created to face the growing power of the Etruscan.  

But the young city was like an eagle, willing to exert its supremacy over those territories. To achieve that, was necessary to annihilate their neighbors (Etruscan or Latin), erasing them... if necessary. Is important to add, that the rise of Rome would have been improbable, if the Etruscan cities would have joined in front of the common enemy. That way, the roman eagle finally devoured them one by one.

Etruscan dancers and musicians. Leopards tomb, Necropolis at Monterrozzi.
Tarquinia, Italy. ca. 475 bC. Source: Le Musée Absolu. Photo: Yann Forget, 2012.

For many reasons, the Etruscan are an interesting enigma. There is no doubt, that they deserve a whole chapter, of our travels to the past. The truth is, that they seemed to dissapear from history. A possible explanation, is that Rome assimilated their culture and both melted in one people. It has happened many times in human history... Etruscan and Roman became one, and their product would mark the world forever. The insignificant village beside the Tiber, was destined to have an extraordinary power.  

Times of infinite greatness and splendour would come. Kings become in gods, would rule over almost everywhere of the known world. For that reason, the historians and poets of the ancient Rome, had the task of making their past an epic story. So the birth and the origin of the city was "ennobled", basing on mythical personages and events.

According to this, was important that the roman citizen felt the pride of his origin, and their armies were the guardians and heirs of a glorious past. In order to achieve it, the writers made the birth of Rome, a saga of the War of Troy. The old Homer´s poem, which tells the doom of the opulent city, with its gods and heroes, seemed to be ideal for a captivating tale. As a result, they created a fantasy story, filled with symbols and serious anachronisms, almost lacking a credible historical basis. All in all, the legend of the she-wolf nursing the twins, became very popular. It constituted an explanation to the fortitude and courage that every good roman should have.

 

The Capitoline Wolf, nursing Romulo and Remo. Bronze, 12th century.
(The twins were added in the 15th century). Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, 2011.
Lic. CC BY-SA 3.0

Those fantasies were taken as true, for a long time... but gradually, the archaelogical findings have been leading to a better understanding about the origin of Rome. Maybe are still amazing surprises waiting under its millenary land!