Tanaquil Sergius

Sometimes things are inexplainable….

Born in Heerlen, The Netherlands, in an ordinary family, after primary school I went to highschool and already had the love for ancient history and culture, especially the latin language, which I started to learn at school at the age of 12. In Holland, we have a special type of highschool where Latin and Ancient Greek are taught, not only the languages, but the cultures and literature as well. During my highschool years, I decided that I wanted to become a classical scholar and archaeologist. So after highschool graduation, I went to study Classical Languages (i.e. Latin and Ancient Greek) and Classical Arcaheology at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands, one of the best western European universities regarding these studies. During my studies, I developed a liking for the world of the Etruscans, especially because of the beautiful art they produced and their huge influence on Roman society and culture and the fact that so little is certainly known about their own culture. Our professor of Etruscology, dr L. Bouke van der Meer, was more than apt to teach us respect for the Etruscans and to motivate me to do more regarding scientific research dealing with this culture (and language). After some time, I became his assistant and helped him with the publication of several articels and books. He wrote a book on the Liver of Piacenza, the Etruscan Language, and so on. He is still working at the Leiden University and he is one of the promotors of my PhD scientific research. This research deals with the Development of Etruscan Cities, its influence from other Ancient Societies and its influence on Rome. I have been working on this subject for five years now, without any state funds, only with occasional private funds, which means that I am doing this research next to a full time job. This will take longer than if I would have a job at the university as a payed researcher, but now I can work on the subject as long as I need to; as a payed researcher, I would only have six years to complete my thesis. So, after my graduation as a classical scholar and classical archaeologist (and even before that!) I went to work as a highschool teacher of Latin and Ancient Greek and I have done so for twelve years (from 1988 until 2000).

My graduation thesis was a research into the iconographical, epigraphical and linguistic explanation of the Etruscan-Italic goddess Menerva (the one the Romans called Minerva).

Menerva is my goddess. Some character questionaires on the internet foresay that I resemble her character very much. I am pleased to know that. She is caring, loving, protecting, knowing, cunning, but honest and proud. I like all these characteristics and I hope that I can stay on making them mine as good as possible….The way Menerva is described above is what I feel for the Etruscans. I don’t only study them, I feel part of their culture in a way. I have always felt that way regarding the ancient Greeks and Romans as well, but the Etruscans have a special place in my heart. Almost every summer, I spend two or three weeks in lovely Tuscany, the home region of the Etruscans, to do research. Some of the articles I have written about Etruscan city development can be read on my Etruscan/Archaeology/Ancient World website: The Caere Site.

In 2000 one of my colleagues at a highschool I was working then, a classicist, pointed Ancient Sites out to me. I registered as Tanaquil Sergius and I became a ferevnt member of this community. In December 2000, I became a patron in AS. I was an enthousiastic member of AS Etruria, of course, and when AS went down forever in the end of March 2001, I was a member of Ancient Vine and the whole Etruria group was there as well. After AV went down, we all went to Community Zero, to continue our proceedings. I was known there as Thanchvil Cilnei, a name I sometimes conduct here at AW as well. I believe there is still Etruscological activity at CZ. Later on, I moved to PanHistoria, only to see a good deal of old AS friends there. I founded several novels, among which the Etruscan Novel “Tular Rasnal”. However, maintaining an Etruscan novel, with so few people really knowing enough of the Etruscans to produce good writing, was quite difficult. I got some space in the PH Library to post information about the Etruscan culture, in order to help people getting easy access to information about the Etruscans. In April 2002, I came across the newly created Ancient Worlds community, the descendant of Ancient Sites and I felt immediately at home. I have even left PH to stay at AW and watch it grow! I can say that I never regret my move to AW. As soon as it was possible for patrons to create groups, I created the Schola Linguae Latinae and, even more important for Etruscan studies, ETRVRIA. Before there could be groups in AW and ETRVRIA was created, there was an Etruria thread at the Roman Palatine, which is still active under the leadership of Leo Volumnius. A few months ago, Leo and I decided to link both group and thread to eachother to share information more easily. I am very glad that AW provides a means for people interested in Etruscan culture to get information in an easy, direct and pleasant way. As one of our AW Etruscans always says: “dei immortales nos Etruscos protegant semper!”

I would like to end my contest entry liek I began it: I often wondered, like others did, where my love for the Ancient World, Archaeology and Etruscan Civilization comes from. Maybe from another, previous life? Well, I wouldn’t know, but I am content with it! Sometimes things are inexplainable….

Tanaquil