Tribes Relations With Other Tribes

[julieboy]

Were any of these tribes in Italy related by blood to other tribes throughout Italy,including Sicily?What were the names of the most prominent tribes?Thank you.

[Virgil61]

The Latins were a part of the Italic tribes who were part of an Indo-European group that spoke the same language when they first entered Italy, or at least that's the current theory I believe.

 

Some of the related tribes were Vestini, Paeligni, Marrucini, Marsi, Aequi, Volsci, and Sabini. Not always friendly, they became allies of the Romans--after a long struggle--with tribes like the Marrucini supplying legions that I've read somewhere were the equal of the Romans. Not surprisingly these tribes were also main instigators in the struggle for citizenship in the Social War.

[sullafelix]

Tribes can be confusing, don't get them mixed up with the coting tribes of Rome which were different.

 

The Etruscans were of course their own civilisation descended from the Villanovans.

 

In the South of Italy a lot of the influence was Greek and so parts of the area are often referred to in textbooks as Magna Graecia.

 

To add to the list of the tribes and Peoples though. There were also the Umbrians (central), the ligurians (late conquest top left hand edge)

 

One of the easiest ways to look at who was most closely related to who is by looking at language. A lot of Italy spoke Oscan, some spoke Greek and the rest Latin

 

http://indoeuro.bizland.com/tree/ital/ita.html

 

check out this site for a useful little map of thr languages spoken and when

Edited March 12, 2006 by sullafelix

[julieboy]

That is a very useful page. What I'd really like to know is what these first Indo European pepole looked like. Also,which non Indo European people preceded the Indo Europeans,and what did they look like?

[sullafelix]

That is a very useful page. What I'd really like to know is what these first Indo European pepole looked like. Also,which non Indo European people preceded the Indo Europeans,and what did they look like?

 

 

Hmm a tricky question I know that sme of the north of Italy was populated by 'Celtic' invaders but as to where the rest of the migrations came from I don't know. If I were you though I would start looking at some anthropology sites they are your best bet!