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Populonia

Populonia (Etruscan name: Pupluna or Fufluna), located on the western coast of Italy, was an important Etruscan town which flourished between the 7th and 2nd century BCE. Rich in metal deposits and so noted for its production of pig iron, it has become known as the 'Pittsburgh of antiquity;' the town was a successful trading port, able to mint its own coinage. 7th and 5th century BCE tombs survive at the site, including large tumuli and square stone aediculae set in rows.

Early Settlement

The earliest archaeological evidence of settlement are the cemeteries belonging to the Villanovan culture (1000-750 BCE), a precursor of the Etruscans. The settlement of Populonia benefitted from its location on the coast where it could act as a trading centre between incoming goods shipped by sea from the wider Mediterranean and export the minerals mined from the interior of Etruria. There were also long-standing trade relations with Sardinia. With its own port in the only Etrurian natural harbour (the Gulf of Baratti), Populonia was the only Etruscan town to be constructed directly on the coast. The Etruscan name for the town - Fufluna - is derived from the Etruscan god of wine Fufluns, and this may indicate viticulture was an early source of wealth. More certain is that Populonia became prosperous based on its production of bronze, using copper and tin deposits found in the nearby hills.

Even more important than all its other resources put together, Populonia was particularly noted as a smelting centre for iron coming from Elba. The island had exhausted its supply of wood needed for charcoal used in the smelting process and so was forced to send iron ore across to the mainland for treatment. It is interesting to note that archaeology has shown that the Populonians did not make the same mistake of mass deforestation. Analysis of charcoal remains at the town show that it typically came from trees which were 20 years old, suggesting there was some forest management and trees were cut on a rotation basis. Iron would bring great wealth to Populonia's ruling class, and as historian J. Heurgon points out, it would make the city as famous in antiquity as Pittsburgh was in the 20th century CE for its steel.

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Satyr

Satyrs (aka silens) are figures from Greek mythology who were followers of the god of wine Dionysos. Satyrs were often guilty of excessive sexual desires and overindulgence of wine. Men with a horse's tail and ears or men with goat legs, these shaggy and unruly creatures lived wild in the forests and symbolised the dangers of unrestraint.

Satyrs are frequently depicted in ancient art, typically causing havoc by attacking women and performing lewd tricks with wine cups. They could be more industrious when Dionysos put them to work making wine. The most famous individual satyr is wise old Silenus, who was the tutor of Dionysos. A specific genre of Greek theatre was the satyr play which involved actors dressing up as satyrs and where there was an entire chorus of satyrs.

Wild Men of Excess

The name 'satyr' was used in the Peloponnese of ancient Greece while 'silen' was used in Attica. At some point in the 6th century BCE, the names came to be used interchangeably in Greek literature and in labels on Greek pottery.

Satyrs often appear in Greek myths as lustful and wine-loving wild men of nature who had some animal features. Intelligent yet mischievous, lewd yet skilled in music, the physique of the satyrs reflects their seemingly conflicting personality traits. Early depictions of satyrs show them as men with a horse's tail and ears while later versions are half-man and half-goat, sometimes with entire goat legs or just hoofed feet. The elements of goat may reflect a later association with the pastoral god Pan, also thought to inhabit forest areas. Satyrs often have snubbed noses, wild-looking hair, and long beards. A weapon of the satyr was the thyrsus, a staff entwined with ivy and topped with a pine cone. These forest dwellers were frequent companions or followers of Dionysos, the Greek god of wine and merriment, and made up his thiasos or troupe, which included nymphs and maenads.

The cult to Dionysos involved orgiastic rituals where the participants - both men and women - were taken over by a Dionysian frenzy of dancing and merriment to such a degree that they transcended themselves. The satyrs came to represent the more excessive side of the Dionysos cult. With their demonic energy, satyrs spent their time chasing and sometimes raping animals or they were employed by their master in wine-making. Consequently, with their transformation of nature into manufactured products, the satyrs bridge the gap between wild abandon and the creation of ordered culture.

Satyrs had a connection with several major festivals in the Greek religion. People dressed as satyrs for processions like the Anthesteria of Athens (a festival which honoured Dionysos and the drinking of new wine), in Alexandria in the Hellenistic period, and in Rome. Satyrs were involved in secret initiation ceremonies for some Greek cults, particularly those involving a connection with the next life and funerary rituals.

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