The‌‌Period‌‌of‌‌Kings‌‌(625-510‌‌BC)‌ 

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By‌‌600‌‌BCE,‌‌the‌‌Etruscans‌‌were‌‌the‌‌most‌‌powerful‌‌people‌‌on‌‌  
the‌‌Italian‌‌peninsula.‌‌Etruscan‌‌monarchs‌‌ruled‌‌from‌‌north‌‌to‌‌  
south,‌‌including‌‌Rome.‌‌While‌‌the‌‌Latins‌‌before‌‌them‌‌also‌‌ruled‌‌  
through‌‌monarchy,‌‌the‌‌last‌‌three‌‌Roman‌‌kings‌‌were‌‌Etruscans.‌‌  
After‌‌ruling‌‌Rome‌‌for‌‌about‌‌100‌‌years,‌‌however,‌‌several‌‌factors‌‌  
contributed‌‌to‌‌the‌‌decline‌‌of‌‌Etruscan‌‌power‌‌and‌‌the‌‌end‌‌of‌‌
 
Rome’s‌‌rule‌‌by‌‌kings.‌‌In‌‌place‌‌of‌‌the‌‌failed‌‌monarchies,‌‌the‌‌
 
Romans‌‌instituted‌‌a‌‌Republican,‌‌or‌‌“representative,”‌‌form‌‌of‌‌  
government.‌‌With‌‌this‌‌new‌‌form‌‌of‌‌government‌‌in‌‌place,‌‌the‌‌  
Romans‌‌expanded‌‌their‌‌power‌‌throughout‌‌the‌‌Italian‌‌peninsula‌‌  
and‌‌across‌‌the‌‌Mediterranean.‌‌The‌‌Roman‌‌Republic‌‌lasted‌‌for‌‌  
about‌‌500‌‌years.‌  ‌
What‌‌factors‌‌led‌‌to‌‌the‌‌decline‌‌of‌‌Etruscan‌ 
power?​‌

 
Etruscan‌‌Decline‌  ‌
According‌‌to‌‌Roman‌‌myth,‌‌Romulus‌‌founded‌‌Rome‌‌in‌‌753‌‌BCE‌‌  
and‌‌became‌‌its‌‌first‌‌king.‌‌The‌‌next‌‌three‌‌kings‌‌that‌‌followed‌‌  
Romulus‌‌to‌‌the‌‌throne‌‌were‌‌all‌‌Roman.‌‌Unlike‌‌monarchies‌‌  
elsewhere,‌‌the‌‌Roman‌‌crown‌‌was‌‌not‌‌passed‌‌down‌‌within‌‌a ‌‌
family.‌‌Instead,‌‌when‌‌a‌‌Roman‌‌king‌‌died,‌‌the‌‌Senate‌‌-‌‌a‌‌group‌‌  
of‌‌wealthy‌‌landowners‌‌-‌‌chose‌‌their‌‌next‌‌king.‌‌They‌‌could‌‌even‌‌  
choose‌‌someone‌‌from‌‌outside‌‌of‌‌Rome.‌‌After‌‌the‌‌rule‌‌of‌‌the‌‌  
third‌‌Roman‌‌king,‌‌that’s‌‌what‌‌happened.‌  ‌
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With‌‌more‌‌and‌‌more‌‌powerful‌‌Etruscans‌‌merging‌‌with‌‌the‌‌  
Roman‌‌population‌‌and‌‌taking‌‌up‌‌residence‌‌in‌‌the‌‌city,‌‌it‌‌wasn’t‌‌  
long‌‌before‌‌an‌‌Etruscan‌‌king‌‌was‌‌appointed‌‌to‌‌rule‌‌Rome.‌‌Due‌‌  
to‌‌several‌‌factors,‌‌however,‌‌Etruscan‌‌rule‌‌was‌‌rather‌‌short‌‌  
lived.‌‌The‌‌Roman‌‌natives‌‌soon‌‌grew‌‌tired‌‌of‌‌their‌‌mistreatment‌‌  
at‌‌the‌‌hands‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Etruscan’s‌‌overbearing‌‌r‌ ule.‌‌While‌‌it’s‌‌true‌‌  
that‌‌the‌‌Etruscans‌‌used‌‌their‌‌engineers‌‌and‌‌artists‌‌to‌‌beautify‌‌  
Rome,‌‌Roman‌‌natives‌‌were‌‌taxed‌‌to‌‌pay‌‌for‌‌those‌‌projects.‌‌  
Additionally,‌‌they‌‌were‌‌being‌‌asked‌‌to‌‌abandon‌‌their‌‌farms‌‌to‌‌  
serve‌‌in‌‌the‌‌Etruscan/Roman‌‌army.‌‌It‌‌wasn’t‌‌long‌‌before‌‌  
resentment‌‌built‌‌up‌‌in‌‌the‌‌Roman‌‌population.‌  ‌
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In‌  ‌509‌  ‌BCE,‌  ‌a ‌ ‌combination‌  ‌of‌  ‌resentment‌  ‌at‌  ‌home‌  ‌and‌  ‌Greek‌‌
 
opposition‌  ‌to‌  ‌Roman‌  ‌expansion‌  ‌in‌  ‌the‌  ‌south‌  ‌eventually‌  ‌led‌  ‌to‌‌
 
the‌‌overthrow‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Etruscan‌‌kings‌‌of‌‌Rome.‌‌    ‌
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