What group most heavily influenced Romes early growth?

Answer 1

No group influenced Rome's early growth. Three groups influenced Rome's early culture and religion: the Sabines, the Etruscans and the Greeks.

The foundation of the city of Rome was said to have involved a fusion between Latins and a group of Sabines who lived on two of the Seven Hills of Rome. The Second king of Rome was a Sabine from Sabina (land of the Sabines). He laid the foundations of early Roman state religion and introduced elements of Sabine religion.

The Greeks established settlements on southern Italy. Being a more advanced civilisation, they had a great impact of the Italic peoples they came into contact with. The Etruscan civilisation arose out of contact with and trade with these Greeks. They adopted the artistic styles of the Greeks for their pottery decoration and Greek architecture. The Italic peoples, including the Etruscans and the Latins (the Romans were Latins), adopted and adapted the western Greek alphabet to develop their written languages. The Romans acquired the books of Greek oracles in their early days. These became important in Roman religion.

The extent of Etruscan influence is difficult to ascertain because of the lack of archaeological evidence form the early period of Rome. They had some influence in region and in some customs. It is likely that this influence came from the Etruscans being Rome's next door neighbours.

Regarding the contribution above:

1) The Etruscans did not inhabit the land where the Roman Empire took root. That would be the city of Rome. Rome was a Latin city in Latium (the land of the Latins). Rome was on the border between Latium and Etruria (land of the Etruscans) and the Etruscans lived north of that river.

2) There is no evidence whatsoever that the Romans adopted the system of government of the Etruscans. The Romans already had their social hierarchy and system of government before the alleged Etruscan "domination." In fact, they had a king advised by the senate right form the foundation of the city.

3) The early Romans did not treat their women the same way as the Etruscans. In those days the Etruscans treated their women better than the Romans. 4) It cannot be established whether the Romans adopted their building designs from the Etruscans or the Greeks because the Etruscans adopted Greek architecture.

5) There is no evidence whatsoever that the Romans borrowed the urban planning of the Etruscans.

The fashionable theory that the Etruscans conquered and ruled Rome in the 7th century B.C. has been challenged. Its evidence base is flimsy to say the least and it is based on unproven assumptions. More recent archaeological evidence suggests a different picture. It shows that the early Latins were influenced as much by the Greeks of the city of Cumae (just 125 miles south of Rome) as by the Etruscans. The importance of Greek influence on the early days of the history of Rome had been appreciated by historians only recently.

Answer 2

The Etruscans, people who already inhabited the land where the Roman Empire took root, influenced them the Romans in many ways. The Romans adopted their hierarchically organized, nobility assisted Government. They were also influenced by their social and cultural roots. For example, the way they treated women and the infrastructure of buildings and their designs (essentially, urban planning) were borrowed from the Etruscans.