The Sibylline Books (Latin: Libri Sibyllini) were a group of writings that contained predictions written in Greek poetry. According to tradition, these writings were bought by Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of Rome, from a prophetess called a sibyl. The books were used to seek guidance during important events in the history of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire.
Most of the Sibylline Books are no longer available; only parts of them remain, and the rest were either lost or intentionally destroyed. The Sibylline Books are not the same as the Sibylline Oracles, which are fourteen books and eight separate pieces of writings that include prophecies believed to have connections to Judaism and Christianity.
History
The oldest collection of Sibylline Books was created around the time of Solon and Cyrus, located at Gergis on Mount Ida in the Troad. This collection was believed to have been written by the Hellespontine Sibyl and kept in the temple of Apollo at Gergis. Later, the collection moved to Erythrae, where it became known as the oracles of the Erythraean Sibyl. From there, the collection was taken to Cumae, associated with the Cumaean Sibyl, and eventually brought to Rome.
A famous story in Roman history describes how the seventh and final king of Rome, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, acquired the Sibylline Books. An old woman, possibly the Cumaean Sibyl, offered the king nine books of prophecies for a very high price. When the king refused to buy them, she burned three and offered the remaining six at the same price. He refused again, and she burned three more, offering the last three at the same price. After consulting the Augurs, who were important religious advisors, the king decided to buy the final three books. He had them stored in a sacred vault beneath the Capitoline temple of Jupiter. This story is mentioned in writings by Varro, Origen, and Aulus Gellius.
The Roman Senate closely controlled the Sibylline Books and entrusted them to two patricians. In 367 B.C., the number of custodians increased to ten, including five patricians and five plebeians, called the decemviri sacris faciundis. Later, during the time of Sulla, the number grew to fifteen, known as the quindecimviri sacris faciundis. These officials were usually former consuls or praetors, held office for life, and were not required to perform other public duties. Their role was to protect the books and keep them secret. The books were stored on the Palatine Hill. The Senate used the books to determine religious rituals needed to prevent disasters, such as earthquakes or plagues, but not to predict specific events. Only the prescribed rituals, not the prophecies themselves, were shared with the public.
The custodians of the Sibylline Books also oversaw the worship of Apollo, Cybele (the "Great Mother"), and Ceres, which were introduced based on the books' guidance. The books influenced the construction of eight temples in ancient Rome. They also helped blend Greek religious practices with Roman traditions, which were already influenced by Etruscan religion. Since the books were written in Greek hexameter verse, the custodians always worked with two Greek interpreters. In 83 B.C., the original books were destroyed when the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitol burned.
In 76 B.C., the Roman Senate sent envoys to replace the lost books with similar oracular sayings collected from places like Ilium, Erythrae, Samos, Sicily, and Africa. These new sayings, along with others from private collections, were placed in the restored temple. Ownership of such works became illegal, and the Quindecimviri evaluated and selected only those they considered authentic.
In 12 B.C., Augustus, as pontifex maximus, moved the books to the Temple of Apollo Palatinus after they were examined and copied. They remained there until about A.D. 405. According to the poet Rutilius Claudius Namatianus, the general Flavius Stilicho burned the books in A.D. 408 during a political conflict. The last known use of the books was in 363 C.E.
Some verses from the Sibylline Books are preserved in the writings of Phlegon of Tralles, a 2nd-century A.D. author. These include an oracle about the birth of an androgyne and instructions for rituals to the gods. Their authenticity has been debated.
The Sibylline Oracles were referenced by the Roman-Jewish historian Josephus and by Christian writers like Athenagoras of Athens, who quoted parts of the oracles in a letter to Emperor Marcus Aurelius. At the time, copies of the reconstituted Sibylline Books were still in the Roman Temple. However, modern scholars believe the Oracles were compiled anonymously in the 5th century after the original books were lost. They contain Jewish and Christian predictions about future disasters, reflecting the confusion about sibyls among Christians in late antiquity.