The Reign of the Rasna: an Etruscan timeline

Muwatalli'

This is the third and hopefully final version of my TL the Reign of the Rasna. Although the start is quite similar to the last one, there are some small differences to make the timeline more realistic. This version will also be more detailed and there will be some differences in the plot of the timeline later on. Enjoy!

The Reign of the Rasna: an Etruscan Timeline

Chapter 1 – The road to an empire

Little is known about early Rasnan history [1], because there are very few written documents from that time. The earliest recorded battle in Rasnan history is the Ruman uprising [2] in 508 B.C. [3] which was recorded more than two centuries later. That battle is not only important because of that reason, but also because this secured the future of Ruma as a Rasnan city.

The city of Ruma [4] was a special city. It was ruled by Rasnans, but the largest part of the population was probably of Latin origin. The lauchme [5] of Ruma was Tarquinius. He was a Rasnan, but most of the Ruman population belonged to another people, the Latins. Tarquin was probably not a very popular ruler, and many people also disliked his Rasnan origins. Therefore the people of Ruma revolted, and the senate took power.

Tarquinius tried to regain the throne, but failed. Then he asked the lauchmeof Clevsin [6], Lars Pursenas [7], to help him regain the throne. Clevsin was one of the most important Rasnan cities at the time, and Pursenas also was the zilath Rasnal [8]. Pursenas decided to help him.

Pursenas’ army marched to Ruma, but the Ruman senate heard from it’s approach and they prepared for the attack. Pursenas wanted to attack Ruma by crossing the bridge near Ruma, but the Rumans destroyed it before he was able to cross it. Pursenas then decided to blockade the city and transport on the river. The siege continued, and after a while Pursenas conquered Ruma.

Etruscans.jpg


But Lars Pursenas did not return the city to Tarquinus. Pursenas wanted to control the city himself. Therefore he put a relative of him on the Ruman throne. Although Ruma was under his control, it did not become a member of the Dodecapoli [8], the league of twelve Rasnan cities, because the Dodecapoli needed to exist of twelve cities, for religious reasons. But Ruma was secured as a Rasnan city, and this would have a large impact on the world.

Etruscan_civilization_map.png

[1] Etruscan.
[2] OTL Roman-Clusium war
[3] I will use OTL dating so that people understand when things happened. In this timeline, other methods are used for dating, which I won't use.
[4] Rome
[5] King of an Etruscan city
[6] Clusium
[7] Lars Porsenna
[8] Elected ruler of the twelve Etruscans city states, that ruled the Dodecapoli for one year. He had some power, but most power lied with the Lauchmes, that elected him.
[9] Dodecapoli, the twelve Etruscan league cities. There were always twelve cities in the league, because of religious reasons. There were not always the same cities in the league, and when one of the cities left the league, an other one had to enter.

Etruscan_civilization_map.png
 

willbell

Please continue. I like the concept, I am working on my own no rome tl, but I can't write well so it will be a while.
 

Muwatalli'

In the 5th century, the Rasnan world largely stayed the same. The Rasnans didn’t expand that much yet, nor were there any important religious or cultural changes. But things were already starting to change. Rasnans would fight together more often than before, and in this way they managed to defeat the Latins and the Sabines.

A much more major rival to the Rasnans were the Ellines [1] The Ellines had a large army and they controlled a large part of the trade at the time. They were also a major naval power. But the Ellines were not united. Sometimes the different Ellinian city-states would make alliances, and sometimes they would also fight each other.

In the 5th century, the Rasnans were not as powerful as the Ellines at sea anymore, because in the past, the Rasnans had dominated the seas. But their power was not what it once was, although the Rasnans still had an extensive trade network and they also had a fleet of war ships. Until then, the Rasnans never used triremes like the Ellines, they preferred lighter, faster ships. But the Rasnans started to make triremes, and when the battle came they had a fleet consiting mainly of penteconters and biremes.

ship_ishm3.gif

A Rasnan ship.

The Ellinian leaders of Syrakusai [2] and Kuma [3], wanted to stop Rasnan expansion into southern Italy. They attacked the Etruscans fleet in the Bay of Neapolis [4] in the year 485 BC. Not much is known about the battle, only the result: the Rasnans won. It was a large battle, which ensured that the Rasnans would dominate the seas again, and that they held on to Campania. But above all, the Ellines were in great danger, for the Rasnans were not their only enemy…

greek_galleys-by-tungsten-on-wikipedia.jpg


The Ellinian trireme fleet.

[1] This is a ATL word for the Greeks, based on Έλληνες, the Greek word for themselves. This term is used because the OTL term Greek is derived from Latin, which is obviously not an important language in this TL.
[2] Syracuse
[3] Cumae
[4] Naples
[5] This is not the same as the OTL battle of Cumae, which occurred in 474 BC.
 
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willbell

I think any really large Etruscan expansion is largely implausible, maybe you could take Umbria, Magna Graecia, and control the North better but I doubt any more than that (and that already is optimistic).
 

willbell

altwere said:
I don't know. Often an expanding country can't seem to stop.
Click to expand...
Rome had something special, giving conquered areas a second-class status, and if you get lucky with a powerful conqueror it will probably just result in Alexander-esque (the Great) disintegration.
 

Muwatalli'

The African city of Carthaza [1] was a very powerful one. Carthazas influence extended far away, across the entire Mediterranean, and they had colonized many far away lands. Sisilia [2] was also partially their possession, but the native Sisilians and the Ellines also occupied part of the island.
An important city on the coast was the Ellinian city of Himera. Himera was previously ruled by Terilus, but he had been deposed by the tyrant of Akragas, Theron, in 483.
Terilus then asked the Carthazan king Hamilcar Magonid for help. In 480 BC [3], Carthaza gathered an army to regain Himera for Terilus, which would be led by Hamilcar, son of Hanno [4]. Hamilcar fought this war not only to get Terilus on his throne again, he also wanted to gain influence over Sisilia.

ZVD9030.jpg


The Carthazan fleet sailed to Ziz [5], the most important Carthazan city in Sisilia on the northern coast. Although Hamilcars primary objective was to regain Himera for Terilus, he also considered the conquest of Sisilia afterwards. In Ziz, Hamilcar reorganized his troops. Afterwards, he marched to Himera. In a battle outside the city, he defeated the Ellinian army present there, mostly men of Theron. The Ellinians barred the gates, preventing the Carthazans from entering the city. [6]
Hamilcar ordered to construct siege weapons to breach the barred gates. After a while, Himera fell to Carthaza. Hamilcar restored Terilus to the Himeran throne. And for Carthaza, this was only their first victory against the Ellines.

[1] Etruscan name for Carthage
[2] Sicily
[3] Due to butterfly effects, the Carthaginian army leaves two days earlier. Therefore they do not have the same bad weather whilst sailing to Sicily, like they had OTL.
[4] Not the same person as Hamilcar I, the king of Carthage at the time (I will refer to the king as Hamilcar I or Hamilcar Magonid and to the general just as Hamilcar)
[5] Punic name for Palermo
[6] In OTL, Gelo, the ruler of Syracuse interfeared in the battle which led to a Greek victory. In this TL, Syracuse has just recovered from the battle of Cumae, which they lost ATL but won OTL. Therefore, their army is less powerful, and Syracuse does not want to interfere in this battle.
 
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Esopo

Banned
Thats an extremely interesting timeline. In otl etruscan decline wasnt caused by rome (which defeated and conquered an already declined etruscan civilization), but by the losing of trade partners in greece after the greek persian wars and after the rise of syracuse.
If etruscans mantain control of all the tyrenian coast of central italy their trade can be kept alive and rising.
 
Cuāuhtemōc

Cuāuhtemōc

Banned
This timeline is actually pretty good. I'm though very interested to seek your take on how alternative Etruscan culture is like. I do hope Carthage and the Etruscans do crush the Greeks together. :D
 

Muwatalli'

Hamilcar then decided to attack Akragas. The restoration of Terilus on the Himeran throne had been his primary objective, but he had come to Sicilia with a large army, more than 200,000 men [1], mainly from Libu [3], and it would be stupid not to use this opportunity.
Akragas was a large and important city, and it would take time to conquer it.

Hamilcar first blockaded all maritime trade going to the city. Then, he landed his army and besieged the city. He got help from his Ellinian ally Selinus [2], which sent troops to help the siege. The people had been prepared for the siege, and the city had enough supplies. Hamilcar demanded the surrender, but Theron refused, although his numbers were smaller than the those of the Carthazans.

Akragas was situated on high ground, which made it difficult to attack the city. Hamilcar decided to make siege ramps, and by that they could attack the city a lot easier.
Hamilcar used siege towers to attack the city, and he succeeded. His army managed to gain control over the Western Gate, and the Carthazans took control of the city.
Hamilcar sacked the city, and Theron was killed in the fighting.
Akragas was destroyed, and the Ellines had suffered a major defeat – and it would only be the first Carthazan victory against the Ellines.

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The ruins of Akragas in the present day.

Meanwhile, the Rasna were regaining importance. The destruction of Akragas meant a major defeat for the Viteluan [4] Ellines. With their defeat and the Rasnan victory at Kuma, the Rasnans became the most powerful force in the Northern Mediterranean again. The Rasnan Thalassocracy was reborn.

[1] This number has probably been exaggerated by historians. Hamilcar had less men. The number was probably closer to 50,000.
[2] Selinunte
[3] Libya
[4] Vitelu is an alternate name for Italy, derived from the Oscan Viteliú, meaning land of young cattle.
 
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