Etruscan mythology

Etruscan mythology encompasses the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient Etruscan civilization, which thrived in what is now Italy before the rise of Rome. Central to their mythology were gods and goddesses associated with nature, the underworld, and human fate, such as Tinia (similar to Jupiter), Uni (akin to Juno), and Menrva (related to Minerva). Etruscans believed in a complex afterlife, emphasized divination, and held rituals to communicate with the divine. Their myths influenced Roman religion and art, as the Etruscans served as a key cultural bridge between ancient Greece and Rome.