The kings and town-state

The Etruscan nation was essentially based upon a system of small independent states. The head of the state was the strongest city in the area. The existence of the very important centres, with their own characteristics and uses, seems an important example of the town-state of the nearby Greek colonies. It is probable in time; every single sovereign city had influence in their own territory and also centres close by, but especially always maintaining a certain grade of autonomy, linked also by relationship of the alliance between them. The tradition takes in fact the existence of an Alliance of the Twelve Towns of which the names are not exactly known. But between those there could be listed the most important are Caere, Painted embossed terracotta represents an Etruscan king during the age of the Tarquinia docimination of Rome, from Cerveteri, VI century B.C.

Painted embossed terracotta represents an Etruscan king during the age of the Tarquinia docimination of Rome, from Cerveteri, VI century B.C.

Tarquinia, Vulci, Volsinii, Veio, Roselle, Vetulonia, Populonia, Chiusi, Perugia, Cortona, Arezzo and Volterra.

The Alliance every year sent his own representatives to celebrate the common celebrations at the federal sanctuary of Fanum Voltumnae near to Volsinii, in that Voltumna was their main divinities. But the city only occasionally worked as an alliances continued to developed a strong sense of devotion of the single city, the outcome therefore was or never created a compact political structure and many scholars reserve that this had been for their fatal conflict with Rome, which is the opposite to create a strong confederation.

In archaic period, a king (lucumo) governed every Etruscan town. There were numerous symbols of his power which surrounded him, he wore a purple cape, a crown of gold, sat on a throne of ivory and was guarded by guards. They carried an axe with a rod (fasces) symbolised his power of justice and for whipping the subjects. The Roman Magistrates in Rome imported many of these symbols. Following the noble class gained even more power against the king; the figure slowly disappeared, leaving the city administrated by the local aristocrats that annually acquired magistrate positions that zilath maru or purthne, in which specific work is not yet very clear.