[muawiyah]

Remember, the Italians claim descent from refugees from the Trojan War.

They were on the losing side.

Obviously, they, themselves, started out as a wandering band of Celts, Troy, or Illium (or in other Celtic languages Allium) being a Celtic site.

So, early Celts in Italy planted grapes.

No Italian who knows his classical history would have a problem with that.

[Restorer]

Troy, or Illium (or in other Celtic languages Allium) being a Celtic site.

Seems unlikely, since if the Trojan War took place it was about a thousand years before the Celts showed up in the area of Greece/Asia Minor.

[Calpernia]

>>>>No Italian who knows his classical history would have a problem with that.

I would! It was Lucy! I have pictures!

[Prost1]

"Remember, the Italians claim descent from refugees from the Trojan War."

Don't you mean Etruscans?
Etruscans and Trojans are the same people... The Italic tribe is a separate group.

[Polybius]

Remember, the Italians claim descent from refugees from the Trojan War.

Actually, only the Romans did.

Prior to the Social War (also called the Italian War or the Marsic War) an "Italian" would have been considered a citizen of one of the non-Roman city states on the Italian peninsula allied to Rome.

Denarius of the Marsian Confederation, during the Social War (89 BC). The legend "Italia" is in Oscan.

As for northern Italy, Cisalpine Gaul was a Celtic area prior to and after the Roman conquest (thus its name) and modern day northern Italians would therefore have no problem acknowledging their direct Celtic ancestors.

[1010RD]

What have we lost from the Carthaginians aka Phoenicians?