Sibylline Books of Rome
- Date of account
- Traditionally acquired under Tarquinius Superbus; Roman use until the late fourth century CE
- Location
- Rome, Capitoline Temple and later Palatine Temple
- Source
- model_recalled_reference
- Record updated
- 2026-10-10
Record summary
The Sibylline Books were a state-controlled collection of prophetic verses consulted by Roman officials during crises, usually through the quindecimviri. Ancient historians describe their alleged purchase from a Sibyl and their use in decisions about rites, cult introductions, and exceptional religious measures. This is useful for comparison with institutionalized prophecy because access was restricted and consultation served public administration rather than private fortune-telling. The original collection is lost, and surviving references are mediated by authors writing at different dates and with differing political purposes.
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