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[[File: Arte etrusca, pannelli d'argento con rilievi, da castel san mariano presso perugia, 540-520 ac. 02.jpg |200px|thumb|left|Etruscan horseman]]

Sometime around 650 BCE the Etruscans seized control of Rome, then little more than a poor settlement of shepherds and small farmers. The site of Rome made it very attractive to the Etruscans as it was situated on a series of hills that were very easy to defend and it was located near an important ford in the Tiber. There was also some salt works nearby and this was an important economic asset in the ancient world. The Etruscans apparently seized complete control of the city, however it is impossible to be sure what is myth and what is history in this era. The Etruscans kings who ruled the city, were the Tarquinii. According to the Histories of Livy, Tarquinius Priscus was the first Etruscan king of Rome and he succeeded the last Latin king. He was an aggressive and warlike king and he expanded the territory of Rome. He was later assassinated by a Roman aristocrat. Servius Tullius was the next king and he was an able leader and he made Rome the leading city in the Latin league and the most powerful entity in central Italy<ref> Franklin-Hall, p. 119</ref>. The later kings of Rome are shown in the histories of Livy and others as cruel tyrants. The last Etruscan King was expelled because of his tyranny and brutality. Despite being controlled by a non-Roman dynasty the city grew in power and prestige. The Etruscans ensured that the Romans were the leaders of the Latin people. This and the territory that was added by the Etruscan kings was very important in the development of Rome and these monarchs laid the foundations for the future Roman domination of Italy. They left an enduring legacy in the symbols of power in Rome. From the royal insignia of the Etruscans came such symbols as the fasces (bundle of sticks) and the ax <ref> Livy 5, 6</ref>. These were later adopted by Republican Rome and remained part of the ceremonial life of the city, until the rise of the Papacy in the wake of the fall of the Roman Empire.

[[File: Charun dead souls Cdm Paris 2783.jpg |200px|thumb|left|A scene from Etruscan mythology]]