BYRES, JAMES

(1734–1817)

   A Scottish antiquarian and architect who was one of the first to examine the tombs of Tarquinia, preserving much information now destroyed, and defend the reputation of the Etruscans against the depredations of the Romans. He also planned a book on the history of the Etruscans, which was never published. More widely, he contributed to the development of neoclassical taste in Great Britain.