Leaving aside the business of augury and such, let us look at the assertion earlier on in this thread that there was no Etruscan rule of Rome.

One can disparage Livy all you want, but the fact remains that there runs through his work and Roman legend a strong sense that the city was once ruled by Etruscans. Why? What advantage would there be to invent a tradition that shows your country to have been so oppressed? Would not a denial of the same be more likely? Saying that "we were never anyone's slave" as opposed to admitting your neighbors made you their bitch?

Much has been made of Cornell's The Beginnings of Rome, its more recent publication date and the disparagement of all others as "out of date." That is all well and good, but it is hardly the be all and end all. Of an equally recent date is R. Ross Holloway's The Archaeology of Early Rome and Latium, which does accept Etruscan rule.

However, let's look at something that has not been touched on here and something that Cornell himself cannot easily explain away. I refer to two items, the paintings of the adventures of the Vibenna brothers and their buddies, found in the François Tomb in Vulchi and the preserved address to the Senate by the emperor Claudius (CIL XIII, no. 1668; ILS, 206), covering much of the same. In the first, a figure labeled Macstrna (Latin Mastarna) is shown freeing Caile Vipinas (Caelius Vibenna), the later's brother, Aule (Aulus) is shown in combat and another figure shown being killed is, surprise, surprise, one Cneve Tarchunies Rumach (Gnaeus Traquinius Romanus). This same Mastarna is identified by Claudius as Servius Tullius, who succeeded Tarquinius Priscus, and an ally of the Caelius Vibenna, who settled his band in Rome and gave his name to the Caelian hill.

Now, of course,we have no way of getting a complete understanding of the events in the tomb painting and the sources Claudius used. He does make clear reference to using Etruscan sources. Given that his first wife was of the Urgulanius family, descended from the royal Orgolnius family of Caere (the Claudii also have strong family ties to Caere as well) and he was well versed, this is strong evidence of Etruscan rule of Rome.