- Ingela M. B. Wiman –
of the beyond. The Underworld seems to be a good place, where you meet your loved
ones and join in a heavenly feast that never ceases, but the voyage to this fi nal destination
seems to be a very threatening and dangerous one. However, there are a few light and
helpful creatures on that path, such as the Vanth who accompanies the dead and lights
their way with torches (see Chapter 25).
Myths and images thus tell everyday life in Etruria and nature’s role in it. They tell of
the importance of cattle and sheep, of herders’ troubles, fears and need for protection. Bad
omens or early warnings are sent by natural phenomena and averted by the actions of the
haruspex, who could exorcise evil. For these people, nature is spirited and inhabited by
borderline beings. Nights were dreaded, to judge from the rejoicing exultation greeting
the sunrise in the terracotta antefi xes from Pyrgi, showing Thesan/Aurora with daybreak
stars, Usil/Sol, with fl aming rays and the cocky morning dew.^66 Dawn has broken!^67
NOTES1 Mariotti Lippi et al. 2007, 279–295.
2 Colombarli et al. 2008, 679–692.
3 See excellent images of these volcanoes on NASA Space Station image ISS006-E-36701,
- Available at: http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/.
4 Recently down-dated in 2009 by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)
(Riccardi 2009).
5 Ciccioli et al. 2010, 9328–9343.
6 Ciccolo, Cattuto et al. 2010, 229–251.
7 Ciccolo, Cattuto et al. 2010, 229–251.
8 Winchester 2004, 12.
9 For a thorough discussion see Wiman 1990, 31–32.
10 Bianciardi and Cassola 1995.
11 Wiman and Ekman 2000–2001, 109–124.
12 Harrison et al. 2010, 165–180.
13 Santillo Frizell 2010, 26–51.
14 Dennis 1883, 213.
15 Dennis 1883, 194.
16 Packard 2007, 46.
17 Curtis and Lieberman 1982.
18 Meiggs 1982, cap. 13, ‘Deforestation’; van Andel et al. 1986, 103–128.
19 Hutchinson 1970, 5.
20 Ward-Perkins in Hutchinson 1970, 10–12.
21 Foxhall 2007, Chapters 5 to 7.
22 Watson 1996, 805.
23 Bellini et al. 2009, 1169.
24 Columbarli et al. 2008, 679–692.
25 I am most grateful to Professor Bo Wiman who informed me of the Abies Alba dates and their
relation to climate conditions.
26 Watson 1996, 805.
27 Nilén 1960.
28 Warden et al. 1982, 26–35.
29 Cristofani and Formigli 1981, 175–194; Miletti and Pitzalis, personal correspondence.
30 Francovich 1985, 313–340.
31 Wiman and Ekman 2000–2001, 122.
32 Finsinger et al. 2010, 1239–1247; Colombaroli et al. 2008, 679–692.