Rise and Fall Regardless of the obscurity of their origins, it
is clear that a distinctive Etruscan culture evolved about the
8th cent. B.C., developed rapidly during the 7th cent., achieved
its peak of power and wealth during the 6th cent., and declined
during the 5th and 4th cent. Etruria had no centralized
government, but rather comprised a loose confederation of city-
states. Important centers were Clusium (modern Chiusi),
Tarquinii (modern Tarquinia), Caere (modern Cerveteri), Veii
(modern Veio), Volterra, Vetulonia, Perusia (modern Perugia),
and Volsinii (modern Orvieto). The political domination of the
Etruscans was at its height c.500 B.C., a time in which they had
consolidated the Umbrian cities and had occupied a large part of
Latium. During this period the Etruscans were a great maritime
power and established colonies on Corsica, Elba, Sardinia, the
Balearic Islands, and on the coast of Spain. In the late 6th
cent. a mutual agreement between Etruria and Carthage, with whom
Etruria had allied itself