The Etruscans, although enigmatic compared to the familiar civilizations of Greece and Rome, had a significant impact on the development of Roman civilization. As a result, it is unsurprising that the Etruscans play a prominent role in Roman mythology.

One example of this may be the stories of Tarchon and Tyrrhenus. They are obscure figures compared to more prominent characters in Greco-Roman mythology, but appear to have been the cultural founders of the Etruscan civilization in the same way that Romulus and Remus were the legendary founders of Rome.