Lucy Shipley

So I think in our last episode, we talked a lot about historical texts, the issue of the Etruscans being featured in a lot of other people's historical texts, but not leaving us very much of their own writings, although we know they were writing.

So they're kind of this tantalizing people, almost on the edge of written history, which is, I think, one of the things that I find so absolutely fascinating about them. And archaeologically, there's this real preconception that the Etruscans are mostly known through their burial archaeology. And hopefully that's changing. I'm going to talk a bit more about that through this episode.

So they're kind of this tantalizing people, almost on the edge of written history, which is, I think, one of the things that I find so absolutely fascinating about them. And archaeologically, there's this real preconception that the Etruscans are mostly known through their burial archaeology. And hopefully that's changing. I'm going to talk a bit more about that through this episode.

So they're kind of this tantalizing people, almost on the edge of written history, which is, I think, one of the things that I find so absolutely fascinating about them. And archaeologically, there's this real preconception that the Etruscans are mostly known through their burial archaeology. And hopefully that's changing. I'm going to talk a bit more about that through this episode.

And hopefully in the first episode, we made that clear as well. You know, it's not just tombs, but it is definitely also tombs to kind of steal a tagline from another history hit podcast.

And hopefully in the first episode, we made that clear as well. You know, it's not just tombs, but it is definitely also tombs to kind of steal a tagline from another history hit podcast.

And hopefully in the first episode, we made that clear as well. You know, it's not just tombs, but it is definitely also tombs to kind of steal a tagline from another history hit podcast.

So yeah, we're kind of starting this story. And when we left off last time, we just started talking about this kind of figure that appears in the classical sources. And we talked about this chap called Demaratus of Corinth. And I think that's quite a good place to start this episode. And there's a lot of hoo-ha about, is this person real? Are they real? Are they not?

So yeah, we're kind of starting this story. And when we left off last time, we just started talking about this kind of figure that appears in the classical sources. And we talked about this chap called Demaratus of Corinth. And I think that's quite a good place to start this episode. And there's a lot of hoo-ha about, is this person real? Are they real? Are they not?

So yeah, we're kind of starting this story. And when we left off last time, we just started talking about this kind of figure that appears in the classical sources. And we talked about this chap called Demaratus of Corinth. And I think that's quite a good place to start this episode. And there's a lot of hoo-ha about, is this person real? Are they real? Are they not?

Is this a genuine historical figure? I think it's always really dangerous to be assuming that we can identify individuals from 600 BC. Especially when they tend to come with all these magical things that they brought to Italy, which actually the archaeology shows was very much already present at this time.

Is this a genuine historical figure? I think it's always really dangerous to be assuming that we can identify individuals from 600 BC. Especially when they tend to come with all these magical things that they brought to Italy, which actually the archaeology shows was very much already present at this time.

Is this a genuine historical figure? I think it's always really dangerous to be assuming that we can identify individuals from 600 BC. Especially when they tend to come with all these magical things that they brought to Italy, which actually the archaeology shows was very much already present at this time.

Yeah, absolutely. So we know that the Etruscans are trading heavily with Greece. It depends whose viewpoint you have here, whether they're pirates or whether they're traders. It depends if you're a Greek person wanting to expand into the Western Mediterranean, in which case they're a complete pain and an obstruction.

Yeah, absolutely. So we know that the Etruscans are trading heavily with Greece. It depends whose viewpoint you have here, whether they're pirates or whether they're traders. It depends if you're a Greek person wanting to expand into the Western Mediterranean, in which case they're a complete pain and an obstruction.

Yeah, absolutely. So we know that the Etruscans are trading heavily with Greece. It depends whose viewpoint you have here, whether they're pirates or whether they're traders. It depends if you're a Greek person wanting to expand into the Western Mediterranean, in which case they're a complete pain and an obstruction.

Or if you're an Etruscan person, then who are these Greeks coming over here into the Western Mediterranean? What are they doing on our trading routes? So there's kind of different perspectives there. And we find these Corinthian wares in Etruria and then we move forwards in time and we see the Attic black and red figure wares get really popular in Etruria.

Or if you're an Etruscan person, then who are these Greeks coming over here into the Western Mediterranean? What are they doing on our trading routes? So there's kind of different perspectives there. And we find these Corinthian wares in Etruria and then we move forwards in time and we see the Attic black and red figure wares get really popular in Etruria.

Or if you're an Etruscan person, then who are these Greeks coming over here into the Western Mediterranean? What are they doing on our trading routes? So there's kind of different perspectives there. And we find these Corinthian wares in Etruria and then we move forwards in time and we see the Attic black and red figure wares get really popular in Etruria.

So there's a lovely statistic that I really like to trot out at every possible opportunity, which is something like 85-90% of the vases that you see in museums will have come from Etruscan tombs.