Map of Italy 600s-400s BC (original) (raw)

Iron Age Etruria (the orange area of the map) was dominated by a collection of city states, twelve of which formed the Etruscan League over time to defend the region from attacks by Greeks and Phoenicians, and which was sometimes known as the Dodecapolis.

Etrurian dominance covered western central Italy, along with a wide swathe towards, but not quite reaching, the Veneti tribe (around modern Venice), and a stretch of territory along the western coast as far south as Naples. The city of Alalia dominated eastern Corsica, completing a semi-circle of territory which formed the border with the Phoenicians of Carthage and the Greeks of southern Italy and Sicily.

Two other Etruscan leagues also formed, one of which was Campania in the south, led by the city state of Capua (which included what is now the city of Naples). This league dominated the Opici people in that region. The other was that of the Po Valley city states in the north-east, which included Adria (modern Atria) and Spina (in the Veneto region of modern Italy).

Gauls began intruding into this territory from the north, while the aggressive Latins of Rome steadily squeezed it from the south whilst also gradually subjugating the various Italic tribes.

A clickable version of this map is available for desktop displays.

To select a region or tribe for further information, click on its name.

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Barbarian Cultures 1000 BC
Italy 800-400 BC
Tartessian Culture 600 BC