328 ETRUSCAN TOMBS. 



ESTHER. 



Which were the twelve cities of the Etruscan league 1 ? 



MRS. F. 



The enumeration of these cities vary. In one list we find 

 the cities of 



Caere Cervetere, 

 Tarquinii Turchina, 

 Populonia, 



Volaterrae Vol terra, 

 Arretium Arrezzo, 

 Perusia Perugia, 

 Clusium Chiusi, 

 Rusellffi, 



Cortona Cortona, 

 Vetulonium, 

 Cossa, and 

 Faesulae. 



Veii,Vulsinii and Capena, which belonged to an earlier cata- 

 logue, had probably fallen when this enumeration was made, 

 and their places were therefore supplied by the admission of 

 other towns. At Caere, which is about thirty miles from 

 Rome, many curious relics have been found; among others, 

 figures of black earthenware, about four inches high, of an 

 Etruscan divinity, represented with four wings, and tearing 

 open its robe. The etymology of the word caeremonia may 

 be referred to the circumstance of the priests of Caere having 

 initiated the Romans into the mysteries of Etruria. 



Tarquinii is about thirteen miles north of Civita Vecchia, 

 and was, next to Veii and Clusium, one of the first cities of 

 Etruria, and is now celebrated for the tombs which have been 

 found there; but we will not mention individually each city 

 of the Etruscan league, most of which afford interesting re- 

 mains of Etruscan art. The Etruscans entombed their great 

 men in tumuli, and excavations in the rock; many of these 

 are to be seen; and, of the former, the tumuli of Tarquinii are 

 the most celeb rated, and their contents are eminently useful 



