Eton College
the largest and most famous of the old public schools of England. Founded by Henry VI. in 1440, who connected it with his foundation of King's College, Cambridge. This relationship in a modified form still obtains at the present time. Having but a small endowment at its foundation, the college has since become very wealthy by numerous benefactions, and the rise of property values. The college consists of a provost and ten fellows, a headmaster of the school, and seventy scholars. The main body of students, however, are the thousand scholars in attendance on the school. Old limitations with reference to qualifications for entrance have been discarded, and the school admits all boys who are British subjects, within certain ages, and with definite scholastic attainments. Until 1860 the course of study was exclusively classical; since that time other subjects have been added.
Many of the buildings erected in the 15th century are still used, but as they were unable to accommodate the number of students who entered in the succeeding years, they have been enlarged and new structures erected. A splendid range of buildings was opened in 1908 by King Edward VII.
Many of the ancient customs have been retained by the modern school. The chief celebration of the school occurs on June 4th, King George III. birthday, on which occ occasion a procession of boats on the Thames takes place. Eton holds a high place in the sport of rowing, many of its graduates becoming the stars of the crew at Cambridge. to that part of Italy which corresponded partly with the modern Tuscany, and was bounded by the Mediterranean, the Apennines, the river Magra, and the Tiber. The name of Tusci or Etrusci was used by the Romans to designate the race of people anciently inhabiting it, but the name by which they called themselves was Rasena. These Rasena enhey called themtered Italy at a very early period from the N. Etruria proper was in a flourishing condition before the foundation of Rome 753 в. c. It was known very early as a confederation of 12 great cities, each of which formed a republic of itself.
Among the chief were Veii, Clusium, Volsinnii, Arretium, Cortona, Falerii, and Fæsulae. The chiefs of these republics were styled lucumones, and united the offices of priest and general. They were elected for life. After a long struggle with Rome the Etruscan power was completely broken by the Romans in a series of victories, from the fall of Veii in 396 B. C. to the battle at the Vadimonian Lake (283 в. c.).
The Etruscans had attained a high state of civilization. They carried on a flourishing commerce, and at one time were powerful at sea. They were less warlike than most of the nations around them, and had the custom of hiring mercenaries for their armies. Of the Etruscan language little is known, though more than 3,000 inscriptions have been preserved. It was written in characters essentially the same as the ancient Greek.
The Etruscans were specially distinguished by their religious institutions and ceremonies. Their gods were of two orders, the first nameless, mysterious deities, exercising a controlling influence in the background on the lower order of gods, who manage the affairs of the world. At the head of these is a deity resembling the Roman Jupiter (in Etruscan Tinia). But it is characteristic of the Etruscan religion that there is also a Vejovis or evil Jupiter. The Etruscan name of Venus was Turan, of Vulcan Sethlaus, of Bacchus Phuphlans, of Mercury Turms.
Etruscan art was in the main borrowed from Greece. For articles in terra cotta, a material which they used mainly for ornamental tiles, sarcophagi, and statues, the Etruscans were especially celebrated. In the manufacture of pottery, they had made great advances; but the most of the painted vases popularly known as Etruscan are undoubtedly productions of Greek workmen. The skill of the Etruscans in works of metal is attested by ancient writers, and also by numerous extant specimens, such as necklaces, ear-rings, bracelets, etc. The ETRURIA Etruscans showed great constructive and engineering skill. They were acquainted with the principle of the arch, and the massive ruins of the walls of their ancient cities still testify to the solidity of their constructions. Various arts and inventions were derived by the Romans from the Etruscans.