The Raethians occupied an area east of Trento and Verona.
It seems that Rhaetic is related to Etruscan, for it is seen many similar phonetic characteristics as well as grammatical terminations. It may thus be another relic of the pre-Indo-European substratum of Italy. Rhaetic was very close to `classical` Etruscan, perhaps even a mere dialect of it, what is by no way surprising, the territories of the two peoples being adjacent. The ancient Raetian province (Rhaetia o Rhaetica) was a territory that was situated between the Alps, the High Danube and the Inn River.

This region was inhabited by the rhaetii or raeti which left many inscriptions in their language, a language not linked yet but that seems to have common endings with Etruscan, and maybe both could be related. Moreover there are certain number of words that seem to have Etruscan correspondences. The Rhaetii were a mountain people inhabiting Eastern and Southern Switzerland, Southern Bavaria , Western Austria and Northern Italy. Rhaetic was very close to `classical` Etruscan, perhaps even a mere dialect of it, what is by no way surprising, the territories of the two peoples being adjacent. The Lepontii was an Alpine people, who inhabited the valleys on the south side of the Alps, about the head of the two great lakes, the Lago Como and Lago Maggiore. Strabo tells us distinctly that they were a Rhaetian tribe (iv. p. 206), and adds that, like many others of the minor Alpine tribes, they had at one time spread further into Italy, but had been gradually driven back into the mountains. (Ib. p. 204.)

There is some difficulty in determining the position and limits of their territory. Caesar tells us that the Rhine took its rise in the country of the Lepontii (B. G. iv. 10), and Pliny says that the Uberi (or Viberi), who were a tribe of the Lepontii, occupied the sources of the Rhone (Plin. iii. 20. s. 24). [the Grisuns and the Valais cantons, both in S. Switzerland]. Many nations dwell among the Alps; but the more remarkable, between Pola and the district of Tergeste, are the Secusses, the Subocrini, the Catali, the Menocaleni, and near the Carni the people formerly called the Taurisci, but now the Norici. Adjoining to these are the Rhæti and the Vindelici, who are all divided into a multitude of states. It is supposed that the Rhæti are the descendants of the Tuscans, who were expelled by the Gauls and migrated hither under the command of their chief, whose name was Rhætus.

Turning then to the side of the Alps which fronts Italy, we have the Euganean nations enjoying Latin rights, and of whom Cato enumerates thirty-four towns. [...] The Vennonenses and the Sarunetes , peoples of the Rhæti, dwell about the sources of the river Rhenus [Rhin, the Grisuns region in Switzerland], while the tribe of the Lepontii, known as the Uberi, dwell in the vicinity of the sources of the Rhodanus [Valais], in the same district of the Alps. There are also other native tribes here, who have received Latin rights, such as the Octodurenses , and their neighbours the Centrones , the Cottian states, the Ligurian Vagienni, descended from the Caturiges [Gaulish tribe], as also those called Montani; besides numerous nations of the Capillati , on the confines of the Ligurian Sea. (Pliny).

IDEA: According to such account, the Raethians would be Etruscans who fleed northwards from their colonies placed along the Po river. IDEA: Etruscan own name (Rasennas) would be linkied with "Raethians" ?

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