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Which public works in Rome were traditionally linked to Etruscan rulers?
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ancient Ancient Italic people
Etruscan roof tile (antefix) with the head of a satyr, terra-cotta, 4th century bce; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
According to ancient tradition, the transformation of Rome from a small village into a city was driven by its last three kings, including the Etruscan dynasty of the Tarquins. These rulers are credited with initiating significant public works that were characteristic of contemporary Etruscan urban planning.12
Traditionally linked to these Etruscan rulers are the following projects:
- The Cloaca Maxima: A major sewer system constructed to drain the swampy valley of the Forum Romanum, allowing it to become the city's public center.12
- Defensive Walls: The construction of walls for the Capitoline Hill.2
- The Temple of the Capitoline Triad: The kings began, and perhaps finished, the construction of the famous temple on the Capitol dedicated to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. This structure, which featured three chambers (cellae), was an institution of Etruscan origin.34
Additionally, the Circus Maximus is noted as the first permanent public building for spectacles in Rome, with its origins and early development associated with this period of transformation.56