The primary importance of the Etruscans lies in their laying the foundations of Rome. The word "Rome" itself comes from an Etruscan word, which gives you some idea of how influential the Etruscans were on early Roman civilization.

In a relatively short period of time, the Etruscans were able to develop a thriving culture that spread throughout what is now central and Northern Italy. What made the Etruscans more advanced than other Italic peoples was their superior skill at mining metals, especially copper and iron, which gave them greater wealth and military power than their rivals. The Romans themselves would be renowned for their mining, and it's not difficult to see the influence here of their Etruscan forebears.

The Etruscans used their superior governing abilities to organize what was then a loose collection of farming communities into the full-blown city-state of Rome. Their ruling elite provided Rome with the main components of its political system: a government and an army. It's no accident that the few Etruscan words that entered the Latin language were related to the power of the state. One such word is fasces, the bundle of whipping-rods carried around by magistrates' attendants which symbolized their authority.

The people of Etruria, the Etruscans, were important in the period that preceded the Roman Empire, an era referred to as Republican Rome. The Etruscans were influential in bringing Greek culture to Rome. This cultural importation included agricultural practices such as the growing of grapes and olives, which remain staple crops of Italy. The Latin alphabet emerged as a variant of the Greek alphabet. The pantheon of the twelve Gods of Olympus were given Roman names. Infrastructure schemes and architectural features such as aqueducts and arches were also introduced to Rome by Etruscans who co-opted them from Greece.

Etruscan city-states formed a confederation and became dominant in colonization and trade, in part because of their powerful navy. Their extensive holdings in iron-rich territory led to their dominance in ironwork.

Etruscan civilization was powerful and occupied Rome until they were expelled circa 510 BC.

The Etruscans were a group of people that lived on the Italian Peninsula, north of where Rome was located and between the Arno River and the Tiber River. The Etruscans ruled the Romans at one time, but later the Romans conquered the Etruscans.

The Etruscans were important for a few reasons. First, they had a fairly well-developed culture. They had major cities and a well-developed trade. They also had their own alphabet. Second, they controlled land beyond the Italian Peninsula. They had expanded their influence and had established colonies in places such as Corsica and Sardinia. However, after they lost some battles to the Greeks, their influence began to decline. Eventually, the Romans overtook them. Another reason why they were important was that the Romans adopted some of their cultural ideas. For example, the Romans adopted the Etruscan alphabet.

The Etruscans were an important group of people.