Rome’s conquest of Italy wrecked the existing political environment. This struggle involved Greeks, peoples of Central Italy, Gauls, Etruscans, and shaped the Mediterranean world, giving the historical base on which our own was built. Yet, it remains not fully understood. Through a multidisciplinary analysis integrating archaeological and historical sources, this conference aims to investigate the transformation of power dynamics—military, economic, and social—and their impact on both urban centres and peripheral territories.

Etruscan Landscapes: Power, Society, and Territorial Dynamics in a Changing Italy (cent. 4th BC-1st AD) - September 18-19th, 2025, Louvain-La-Neuve (Belgium)

Argument

Rome’s conquest of Italy wrecked the existing political environment. This struggle involved Greeks, peoples of Central Italy, Gauls, Etruscans, and shaped the Mediterranean world, giving the historical base on which our own was built. Yet, it remains not fully understood.

Recent studies show how Roman dominion was established not only with war, but also with diplomacy, connections among elites, and economic advantages. This newly found perspective allows us to analyse the changes and reciprocal integration occurring in Roman Italy with fresh eyes. This period brought no decline for local identities in Italy, but rather reciprocal cultural exchanges, resulting in a wholly different concept of Italy.

The Etruscans were undoubtedly part of this process. Firstly, they did not regard themselves as one political entity. ‘Etruria’ consisted of multiple subareas, internally different in their territorial control, with diverse family agendas, shifting alliances, and dynamic power balances. The Roman conquest, then, caused a widespread societal change on different levels, which is worthy of a deeper analysis. For example, how did the policies of the Etruscan cities change? To what extent did individual families or ruling elites dictate these policies? Who were the new key actors in territorial management? Were new social categories created by these changes, and did they exert any political influence?

Moreover, local identities show a surprisingly complex set of different behaviours, both internally and towards Rome. Local realities grew slowly in importance until they established a new relationship, less hierarchic and with increasing permeability, with the ‘poleic’ world, the cities. How, then, did social and political relationships change in these areas? Did the administration of outlying territories foster social differentiation, or rather integration? How did the encounter with Rome alter the existing administration and social organisation?

Through a multidisciplinary analysis integrating archaeological and historical sources, this conference aims to investigate the transformation of power dynamics—military, economic, and social—and their impact on both urban centres and peripheral territories.

Conference sections

The envisaged sections are:

1. Urban and Rural relations - Traditional studies have focused on urban centres due to the abundance of data, yet the countryside gained increasing economic and social significance but received less importance. The first axis of the conference aims to refine our understanding of peripheral territories and their role in shaping Etruria, and consequently the Roman territory, reassessing the importance of evolving relationship between cities and the countryside.
2. Etruscan Elites and Roman Influence - As Rome expanded, it transformed its conquered territories while also adapting to regional differences. The Etruscan ruling class, once dominant in cities and rural areas, had to navigate this new political landscape—whether as allies, adversaries, or Roman citizens seeking offices within the Roman system. The second axis of the conference aims to investigate how these elites evolved, both in function and identity.
3. Societal Transformation and Mobility - Societal changes went beyond the ruling class. The processes of integration, shifting social stratification, and mobility were deeply connected to administrative changes and the shifting balance between centre and periphery. As the elite transformed, so did its composition and internal hierarchy. The third axis conference aims to analyse these changes to provide a deeper understanding of how power was redistributed within Etruscan society under Roman influence.

Keynote lecturers

The keynote lecturers of this conference are:

1. Enrico Benelli (Ricercatore a Tempo Determinato/Lecturer, Università Roma Tre)
2. Massimiliano Di Fazio (Professore Associato/Associate Professor, Università degli Studi di Pavia)
3. Marie-Laurence Haack (Professeur/Professor, Université de Picardie Jules Verne)

Organizational information

Each paper will have a duration of 25 minutes. Presentations will take place in English, French, or Italian. A publication of the conference proceedings is envisaged.

Scholars are invited to send an abstract of around 300 words to the organizers:

• alexis.daveloose@ugent.be
• valentina.limina@uclouvain.be
• davide.morelli@uclouvain.be

by 30 June 2025

Besides the title and abstract of the proposed presentation, please include your name, a short bio, and the conference section you intend to take part in. We particularly welcome applications from young scholars (PhD candidates and early postdocs). Presenters will be notified of the result by 15 July.

Important information

• Update: attendance, thanks to our funding institutions, is now free of charge
• For any inquiry, do not hesitate to write to the conference organizers