The Volta is described in Etruscan tradition as a monster that devastated the countryside. According to Lucius Piso and Pliny the Elder, King Porsenna used a thunderbolt to destroy the creature, following an example set by Numa Pompilius, the legendary Roman king. Tullus Hostilius attempted a similar feat without adequate knowledge and was himself struck by lightning. The Volta reflects ancient beliefs in monsters controlled or destroyed by divine intervention, with parallels in Roman and Etruscan myth.
Volta (Etruscan Monster)
Creature Types: Etruscan, Roman
Mythological/Cultural Origins: Adversary, Monster
Roles/Functions in Lore: Classical Literature, Roman Histories
Literary Sources/Traditions: Classical Antiquity
Historical/Legendary Time Periods: Destruction, Monstrous Strength
Attributes/Powers: Malevolent
Alignments/Moral Standings: N/A
