Etruscan civilization

The Etruscan civilization existed in Etruria in the northern part of what is now Italy prior to the formation of the Roman Republic.
Etruscans were a non-Aryan folk who migrated into northern and central Italy before 800 BCE from the eastern steppes. They set up a series of autonomous city-states: Arretium (Arezzo), Caisra (Caere or modern Cerveteri), Clevsin, (Clusium or modern Chiusi), Curtun (modern Cortona), Perusna (Perugia), Fufluna or Pupluna (Populonia), Veii, Tarchna (Tarquinii or modern Tarquinia-Corneto), Vetluna (Vetulonia), Felathri (Volaterrae or modern Volterra), Velzna (Volsinii or modern day Bolsena), and Velch (Vulci or modern day Volci). The Romans were under Etruscan power in the infancy of their own culture, and after they became independent always regarded the Etruscans with the half sneering condescension, half horrified fascination that former subject peoples usually view their erstwhile masters (this is an important point, for it lies at the heart of the very ambivalent Roman attitude towards Monarchies vs. Republics). Knowledge about the Etruscans is fragmentary, and usually filtered through Roman eyes; the Etruscan language is essentially untranslated even today. It is known that they normally acknowledged one among their number as High King. By the 5th century BCE they were under increasing pressure from turbulent Italics on the one hand, and feroce Celts on the other, and by the 3rd century they had fallen under the authority of Rome (the last Etruscan city to be subdued by Rome was Velzna, 265 BCE). In 90 BC they were granted Roman citizenship, but they backed Marius a decade later, and as a result their language was suppressed and their distinct culture and folkways outlawed. A century later, the future Emperor Claudius could find enough elderly rustics remaining to compile an Etruscan dictionary (now lost), but they vanished as a distinct ethnic group soon after. Nevertheless, a large number of old Roman families retained a memory of Etruscan roots, for example the Sempronii, Licinii, Minucii, and Larcii. Then too, a number of the older Roman divinities turn out to be based closely on Etruscan originals.

Some of Etruscan rulers :

Osiniu (at Clusium) probably early 1100's
Mezentius fl c 1100 ?
Lausus (at Caere)
Tyrsenos
Velsu fl 8th century
Larthia (at Caere)
Arimnestos (at Arimnus)
Lars Porsena (at Clusium) fl late 6th century
Thefarie Velianas (at Caere) late 500's-early 400's
Aruns (at Clusium) fl c 500
Volumnius (at Veii) mid 400's-437
Lars Tolumnius (at Veii) late 400's-428

This article incorporates some information taken from http://www.hostkingdom.net with permission

Bibliography:

Bloch, Raymond. The ancient civilization of the Etruscans. Translated from the French by James Hogarth. Ancient Civilizations Series. New York: Cowles Book Co, 1969