Secret prophecies: the mysterious Sibylline Books that controlled Ancient Rome's destiny

The Sibylline Books were a collection of ancient Roman prophecies that were consulted in times of crisis.

These books were considered to be a crucial resource for understanding the will of the gods and were believed to have been written by the Sibyls, female oracles who were said to have lived in various parts of the ancient world.

Unfortunately, much of their content remains a mystery to us today, as the Roman authorities guarded the Sibylline Books closely and kept their contents confidential.

Nevertheless, the influence and power of these ancient texts cannot be underestimated, and tantalising details of specific oracles have survived over the millennia.

Through careful reconstruction of the remaining evidence, historians have been able to piece some information back together.

The origins of the Sibylline Books are shrouded in myth and legend. According to tradition, there were originally nine books, which were brought to Rome by a Sibyl named Cumae, who had been approached by a group of Roman officials seeking advice on how to deal with a plague that was ravaging the city. 

The Sibyl offered the books to the Romans, but they refused to pay her asking price. In response, she burned three of the books and offered the remaining six at the same price.

The Romans still refused, so she burned three more and again offered the remaining three at the same price.

Finally, the Romans agreed to purchase the three remaining books, which were placed in the care of two custodians known as "duoviri sacris faciundis".

These books were kept in the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill and were consulted by the Roman Senate in times of crisis.

The books were written in Greek, which was considered to be the language of prophecy, and were kept secret from all but a select few officials.

According to historical accounts, the Sibylline Books played a crucial role in Roman history during times of crisis, such as wars, famines, and plagues. The Roman authorities consulted the books for guidance on how to appease the gods and avert disaster.

For example, during the Second Punic War with Carthage, the Sibylline Books were consulted, and the oracle instructed the Romans to import the cult of the Great Mother from Asia Minor to Rome.

During the Battle of Cannae in 216 BC, the Roman army suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of the Carthaginian general Hannibal. In the aftermath of the defeat, the Roman authorities consulted the Sibylline Books for guidance on how to appease the gods and avoid further disaster.

According to historical accounts, the oracle instructed the Romans to perform various rituals, including the sacrifice of two Gauls and two Greeks, to appease the gods and avert further calamity. However, despite these efforts, the Romans continued to suffer defeats at the hands of Hannibal until the end of the Second Punic War.

The Sibylline Books apparently also contained a significant prophecy concerning Julius Caesar, which may have played a role in the events leading up to his assassination on March 15, 44 BC.

This prophecy stated that only a king could defeat the neighbouring kingdom of Parthia. Caesar, in 44 BC, was just about to embark on a new military expedition to Parthia. 

As a result, Caesar becoming king was seen as a direct threat to the Republic by the Roman senators.

So, on the day of his assassination, the Senate convened, and Caesar was stabbed multiple times by a group of senatorial conspirators, including Brutus and Cassius.

This act was rationalized by the assassins as a necessary deed to save the Republic from returning to the era of a Roman monarchy.

The content of the Sibylline Books was believed to be of immense importance, and their loss was considered to be a grave calamity.

In 83 BCE, a fire broke out in the Temple of Jupiter, destroying the original books.

To replace them, the Senate consulted with various Sibyls and other oracles, compiling a new set of books over the course of several decades.

The new books contained prophecies and advice on a wide range of topics, including military strategy, public health, and natural disasters.

However, the Emperor Augustus, who ruled from 27 BC until AD 14, grew concerned with the haphazard collection of new Sibylline books.

They were kept in the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill and were guarded by a group of priests known as the Quindecimviri.

Around 12 BC, Augustus ordered a critical review of these texts. This was an attempt to consolidate and standardize some of the Roman religious practices.

For this purpose, he sought to eliminate any prophecies that seemed ambiguous or politically subversive.

During the review, Augustus ordered the destruction of a significant number of these books, and retaining only those considered 'genuine'.

According to some historical accounts, this act reduced the number of books from several thousand to just a few hundred.

With the remaining texts, Augustus relocated them to the newly built Temple of Apollo on the Palatine Hill, which would be closer to imperial control.

Despite their waning influence, the Sibylline Books continued to be consulted throughout the early Christian era. In the 4th century CE, the Emperor Constantine ordered that the books be collected and preserved, but their content was never made public.

By the time of the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, the books had largely disappeared from historical record.

Today, the Sibylline Books are remembered primarily as a mysterious artifact of ancient Rome, a testament to the power of prophecy and the belief in divine guidance.

Though their content may have been lost to time, their legacy endures as a symbol of the complex and often enigmatic relationship between politics and religion in Ancient Rome.