Larissa Bonfante – författare

The Barbarians of Ancient Europe deals with the reality of the indigenous peoples of Europe, in contrast to many publications that explore these peoples in the context of the Greek idea of 'barbarians' as the 'Other'. These varied groups - Thracians, Scythians, Celts, Germans, Etruscans, and other peoples of Italy, the Alps, and beyond - had contact with one another and with Greek culture during its flowering. Images on the spectacular gold and silver objects buried in royal tombs show how the horse-riding nomads and the barbarian women warriors known in antiquity as Amazons saw themselves. Archaeological discoveries show how they dressed, what they ate and drank, where they lived, and how they honored their dead kings with barbaric splendor and human sacrifices, allowing us to change, correct, or confirm the picture given in Greek and Roman literature.

A revised, updated and expanded edition of the first concise introduction to the study of the Etruscan language in English. The standard historical reference and a popular textbook for students of languages, linguistics, ancient civilization and Etruscan studies. Provides the best collection of Etruscan inscriptions and texts currently in print. A substantial archeological introduction sets language and inscriptions in their historical, geographical and cultural context. The overview of Etruscan grammar, the glossary and chapters on mythological figures all incorporate the latest scholarship and innovative discoveries.

In this study Larissa Bonfante traces the development of Etruscan dress from the eighth to the fifth century B.C.E., using as evidence actual remnants of costumes, sculptures and other artistic representations, and literary passages dealing with the subject. Bonfante explores Near Eastern influences on Etruscan dress as well as the relationships of Greek and Roman styles to Etruscan styles. She also addresses the problem of determining which garments were actually worn and which were only artistic conventions. In addition, by tracing the origin of each style of dress, she provides a chronology of Etruscan relations with the Near East and the cities of Greece. For this paperback edition, an updated bibliographical essay discusses the latest research and discoveries in the field.