Tinia

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In Etruscan mythology, Tinia (also Tin or Tins) was the highest god of the skies, husband to Thalna or Uni.

He was part of the powerful triumvirate of gods, including Menrva and Uni. He was associated with lightning, spears and scepters. In the Etruscan language, <tin> or <tinš> means "day" and its plural is <tinia> showing that he is a god governing the passage of time (compare Father Time and Ancient of Days).

With Uni, he was the father of Hercle.

Tinia was the equivalent of the Roman Jupiter and the Greek Zeus. He comes in specialized varieties, as detailed on the Piacenza Liver, a bronze model of a liver used for haruspicy. Some of his epithets listed there include Tin Cilens, Tin Θuf and Tinś Θne.

Some inscriptions in which he appears are as follows.

• On a kylix painted by Oltos (ca 500 BC):

Itun turuce venel atelinas Tinas cliniiaras.

This has given Venel Atelinas for the sons of Tin (ie: The Dioscuri).

• On the bronze Chimera of Arezzo:

Tinscvil

A gift to Tinia