Tinia

For the immunological technique TINIA, see Turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay.
Tinia
God of the Sky

Terracotta bust of Tinia from 300–250 BCE
Symbol Thunderbolt, eagle, ivy wreath
Consort Thalna or Uni
Children Hercle and Menrva
Greek equivalent Zeus
Roman equivalent Jupiter
Tinia on a Roman As from Etruria

Tinia (also Tin, Tinh, Tins or Tina) was the god of the sky and the highest god in Etruscan mythology, equivalent to the Roman Jupiter and the Greek Zeus.[1] He was the husband of Thalna or Uni and the father of Hercle.

The Etruscans believed in Nine Great Gods, who had the power of hurling thunderbolts; they were called Novensiles by the Romans.[2] Of thunderbolts there were eleven sorts, of which Tinia, as the supreme thunder-god, wielded three.[2] Tinia was also part of the powerful "trinity" that included Menrva and Uni and had temples in every city of Etruria.[3] Tinia was sometimes represented as seated and with a beard or sometimes standing and beardless.[3] In terms of symbolism, Tinia has the thunderbolt and the rod of power, and is generally accompanied by the eagle and sometimes has a wreath of ivy round his head, in addition to the other insignia of Jove.

Some of Tinia's defining epithets are detailed on the Piacenza Liver, a bronze model of a liver used for haruspicy. Some of his epithets inscribed there include Tin Cilens, Tin Θuf and Tinś Θne, which are commonly translated as sun of darkness/underworld, sun of law/oath, and sun of thunder/storm.

Inscriptions

Chimera of Arezzo
Tinia inscription on foreleg

Tinia appears in several inscriptions, including:

Itun turuce venel atelinas Tinas cliniiaras.
This has given Venel Atelinas for the sons of Tin (ie: The Dioscuri[4])
Tinscvil
A gift to Tinia

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zeus in Etruscan art.
  1. ↑ de Grummond, Etruscan Myth, Sacred History and Legend, page 53
  2. 1 2 Dennis, George (1848). The cities and cemeteries of Etruria: Vol.I. London.
  3. 1 2 von Döllinger, Johann Joseph Ignaz (1862). The Gentile and the Jew: Vol.II. London.
  4. ↑ Giuliano Bonfante and Larissa Bonfante (1983). The Etruscan language: an introduction. Manchester University Press.


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