Sibylline books

The Eritrean sibila with one of her books, portrayed by Michelangelo (Sistine Chapel)

The Sibylline Books were mythological and prophetic books from ancient Rome.

History

The sibyl of Cumae once appeared before the Roman king Lucius Tarquinius the Proud as a very old woman and offered him nine prophetic books at an extremely high price. Tarquinio refused thinking of getting them cheaper and then the sibyl destroyed three of the books. She then offered him the remaining six at the same price as at the beginning; Tarquin refused again and she destroyed another three. Fearing that they would all disappear, the king agreed to buy the last three but paid for them the price that the sibyl had asked for the nine.

These three books were kept in the temple of Jupiter in the city of Rome and were consulted in very special situations. They are called Sibylline Books. They were written in Greek, on palm leaves, which later became papyrus.

The Romans of the 2nd century B.C. C., in times of the Republic, these books were highly appreciated and kept in a college made up of ten minor priests called decem viri sacris faciundis. In crisis situations they were consulted to see if there was a prophecy that could be applied to the current situation.

In the year 83 B.C. C. the fire destroyed the original sibylline books and a new collection had to be formed, for which the Senate sent to Troy, Samos, Erythras and other parts to collect the sibylline books that could be found and Augusto ordered them locked up in two coffers. These books have not reached our days either because in the year 405 the Roman general Stilicho ordered their destruction because the books prophesied that he intended to seize power.

It seems that Cicero was able to read the sibylline books as he says that they were worked and written with art and diligence and that they were acrostics. Saint Augustine in his City of God, book XVIII, chap. 23 speaks of an acrostic of the Eritrean sibyl whose initial letters formed this sense: Ιησούς Χριστός, Υιός του Θεού, Σωτήρας, Jesus Christ son of God, savior.