The Importance of Etruscan Sarcophagi

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Etruscan art and culture plays a major role in the Roman society due to the power and command it once held over the Romans. The Etruscans were a strong network of city-states that ruled over Rome for more than a century during the Hellenistic period. These people, influenced by the culture of the Greeks, kept the same belief and value system present in that of Greek mythology. Greek ideals facilitated the style and the art that Etruscans produced and this is apparent in the visual language of structures, artwork, and early organization of the Roman state that the Etruscans established. During the Etruscan rule, acculturation between Romans and the Etruscan society occurred. This mixing of language, sharing of knowledge, religious ideas, art styles, and social organization are what influenced the early Roman society. This is about the Etruscan funerary techniques and how the Romans acquired, copied, and reapplied these methods of style to define their own societal meaning. Even though the Etruscans were overthrown soon after they occupied Rome, their influence is a major factor in how the Romans developed ideas and meaning within their own society Through the means of commemorating and remembering those of prestige and importance, tombs and sarcophagi are produced of these individuals. This funerary manner and distinctive burial practice was initiated Etruscan culture and it developed through the means of cremation and inhumation in earns. The concept of placing the remains of individuals in elaborate, thought out spaces was a valuable attribute of these people. The Etruscan objective of creating the best possible outcome in the afterlife dictated the way in which individuals ornamented and became portrayed in their tombs. Presen... ... middle of paper ... ... burial places. Not only did it provide these individuals with an eternal essence, it was a demonstration of their wealth and taste. These burial practices are cultural dedications that engage with society. Though are not all the same, they provide the same type message. This message is in regard to the heavy presence of power at a certain time. The society of elites engages in the world, competes with each other and in this generates a sense of control. Creating tombs and spaces for themselves ensures them that their mark on the world lasts forever even when their body doesn’t. It is religious in that it provides space for someone who has died and ascended yet it is symbolic of the spirit where the individual can back to the high ether and be where the gods live. Works Cited Strong, Donald. "Ch. 9: “The Antonines.”." Roman Art. S.l.: n.p., 1988. 197-217. Print.

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