Sibyl
the name by which certain prophetic women were designated in ancient times. Their number is variously stated. Ælian mentions four-the Erythræan, the Samian, the Egyptian, and the Sardian; but it was popularly believed that there were 10 in all. Of these the most famous is the Cumæan, known by the names of Herophile, Demo, Phemonoë, Deiphobe, and Amalthæa. She was consulted by Æneas before his descent into the lower world, and accompanied him in his journey through the land of shadows.
It was she who appeared before King Tarquin, offering him nine books for sale.
The king refused to buy them, whereupon she went away, burnt three, and then returned, asking the original price for the remaining six. On his still refusing to purchase them, she again left, destroyed another three, and on her return offered price which she had asked for the nine.
Tarquin, astonished at such singular conduct, bought the books; and the sibyl vanished. On inspection they were found to contain directions as to the worship of the gods and the policy of the Romans.
They were kept with great care in a stone chest in an underground chamber of the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, at first by two commissioners, afterward by a college of 10, finally increased by Sulla to them, by special order of the senate, in case of prodigies, dangers, and calamities.
In 83 B. c. the temple of Jupiter was burned and the original Sibylline books were destroyed. Ambassadors were accordingly sent to the different towns of Italy, Greece, and Asia Minor, to make a fresh collection. This was deposited in the temple when rebuilt. Spurious Sibylline books now began to accumulate and circulate in Rome. Augustus, fearing danger to the state from the abuse of them, ordered that all such should be delivered up. Over 2,000 were thus destroyed. Those that were accounted genuine were deposited in the temple of Apollo on the Palatine. The writing of these having become faded, Augustus commanded them to be rewritten. In the conflagration of Rome in the reign of Nero they were all again destroyed. New collections were made, which were publicly and finally burnt by the Christian Emperor Honorius. 15. These keepers alone consulted The Sybilline oracles to which the Christian Fathers refer are in no sense whatever to be confounded with the older pagan collections. They are "pious belonging to early ecclesiastical frauds," belon literature. An exhaustive collection of the Sibylline oracles was published by Gallæus (1689). Fragments have been edited by Angelo Mai (1817) and Struve (1818).
SICILIAN VESPERS. Charles of Anjou, brother of Louis IX., King of France, having seized Sicily by virtue of a grant from Pope Alexander IV., the natives rose against the French the day after Easter, March 30, 1282. The massacre which ensued commenced at Palermo, extended to Messina and other parts of the island, and is known in history as the Sicilian Vespers.