The Etruscan bright sky god Tinia (also Tin, Tins or Tina) was the highest god in Etruscan mythology, the Etruscan equivalent of the Roman Jupiter and the Greek Zeus. He was the husband of Thalna or Uni and the father of Heracle.

He was part of the powerful triumvirate that included 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).

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.

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

References