Etruscan (Reading the Past) Edition Unstated

by Larissa Bonfante (Author)

8 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0520071186

ISBN-10: 0520071182

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Before the rise of Rome, the Etruscans dominated central Italy commercially and culturally. Significantly, it was the Etruscans who passed the alphabet on to the Romans. But in the first century B.C., when they had become Roman citizens and begun to speak Latin, their own language died out.

Being of non-Indo-European origin, Etruscan is extremely difficult to interpret, and the difficulty is increased by the fact that no Etruscan literature survives. A certain amount has, however, been reconstructed from inscriptions. Here Dr. Bonfante sets out the rudiments of pronunciation and grammar as they are understood so far. Analyzing inscriptions on a wide variety of objects, including mirrors and gems, vases, sarcophagi and coins, she shows what these fragmentary writings contribute to our knowledge of this still largely mysterious people.

The book also contains a list of Etruscan personal names and a glossary of Etruscan vocabulary. A final chapter discusses the Agnone Tablet, an important inscription in Oscan, which was spoken in central Italy at the same time as Etruscan.

Giuliano Bonfante
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About the Author

Larissa Bonfante is Professor of Classics at New York University and author of numerous books and articles on Etruscan language and culture.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press; Edition Unstated (September 14, 1990)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 64 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0520071182
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520071186
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.75 x 0.25 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,274,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,002 in Ancient History (Books)
- #2,956 in Linguistics (Books)
- #8,048 in Linguistics Reference

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E. A. Kinzel

Overview of the Etruscan Language

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 4, 2008

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The purpose of this book is to provide an overview of the Etruscan language. Considering that this book is a mere 62 pages long, don't look for detailed studies of Etruscan culture, history, art, etc. If you are looking for a brief yet respectably researched introduction to the language of the Etruscans, as I was, then this book will fit the bill.

It is simply amazing how much information is packed into these 62 pages: the linguistic situation in ancient Italy (with excellent maps); a summary of the Etruscan language, including evolution of the alphabet, a guide to pronunciation, and Etruscan grammar as it's currently and incompletely understood; writing materials and methods; and, the bulk of the book, a carefully and thoroughly illustrated section on Etruscan inscriptions, showing mirrors, vases, and sarcophagi, odd choices but apparently our best sources for such inscriptions, and also a catalogue of the inscriptions, with sample inscriptions showing the broad categories into which they fall.

Finally, there are two appendices, one listing Etruscan proper names, and the other containing a serviceable Etruscan glossary, and also a brief bibliography touching upon linguistic matters as well as other aspects of Etruscan culture and history.

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Rebecca H. Augustine

Good Resource for Ancient Cultures

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 2, 2013

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I bought this for myself years ago, then for my eldest daughter when she needed it in college. This proved to be most useful as well as interesting. This is a good background if you are interested in Etruscan culture.

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Brief, Impressive Introduction to the Language & Stunning Artwork of the Etruscans.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 5, 2010

"Etruscan" by Larissa Bonfante is part of the British Museum's "Reading the Past" series that introduces readers to ancient scripts. Etruscan uses an alphabetic script similar to the Greek alphabet, so the author introduces us to the Etruscan language, which took a written form around 700 BC but was extinct by the first century BC, as the Etruscan people adopted Latin and essentially became Roman. Although it was spoken and written in central Italy, Etruscan, like only a few other European languages, is not an Indo-European language. It was an isolated language which must be reconstructed from about 13,000 surviving short inscriptions.

Very few lengthy passages of Etruscan survive, which is unfortunate given that Etruscan was apparently a culture that valued literature highly and in which high-quality artwork was a part of everyday life. Etruscan culture and language comes down to us only through archeological finds and references in Greek and Roman literature. "Reading the Past" volumes are typically introductions to how a script works and how it was used, rather than how-to guides to reading the language. That is true of this volume, though you could learn to read a little from it as well. The author provides enough information on grammar, pronunciation, and a short glossary to enable simple translations.

A chapter on writing materials and methods provides a tantalizing glimpse into Etruscan culture through illustrations of the engraved images and inscriptions on bronze mirrors, engraved gems, vases, sarcophagi, and more. This shows off the quality of Etruscan artwork, as well as giving us some examples of how the written language was used. It is said that the Etruscans wrote their books on linen. Too bad none have survived. There is also a short chapter on the Oscan language, another language of central Italy, comparing its alphabet to the Etruscan. "Etruscan" is a nice, short (64 pages) introduction to the language and art of the Etruscans, but don't expect it to be in-depth. It's more of a teaser.

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Dick Marti

Disappointing

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 3, 2014

Too much space is wasted discussing short texts on mirrors and sarcophagi. Longer texts are mentioned in passing, but no examples are given except photographs or drawings. And why is a chapter on Oscan included? If I wanted to read about Oscan, I would have looked for a book on that language. It is related to Latin, not Etruscan. The authors wasted space and effort creating this book and lost a good opportunity to educate those interested in Etruscan.

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Larry N. Stout

A window on ancient Italy

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 17, 2012

This informative and very interesting little book is yet another of the highly recommended "Reading the Past" series, providing for a lay audience a concise and authoritative introduction to ancient writing systems. Taken singly -- or better, as the entire series -- these slim volumes provide a real education in ancient history.

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sara

Sulla scrittura degli etruschi

Reviewed in Italy 🇮🇹 on May 9, 2022

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Anche se un poco datato, un testo ancora valido e molto interessante sulla struttura della scrittura e dell'alfabeto etrusco. Bonfante non delude mai.

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Etruscan (Reading the Past) Edition Unstated

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