Salve Aule Sergi

Explain what you meant by this

the fact remains that there runs through his work and Roman legend a strong sense that the city was once ruled by Etruscans... admitting your neighbors made you their bitch?

There is a difference in the implication attending the Roman admission that one of their elected kings originated in Etruria and saying that Etruscans ruled the city. There is a much greater difference in the implication of saying Etruscans made Rome their bitch. If you didn't mean that Etruscans conquered Rome then what is your justification for making such a comment.