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<p>[QUOTE="Sulla80, post: 4580872, member: 99456"]<b>[ATTACH=full]1134553[/ATTACH]</b></p><p><font size="1">Public Domain image, C. Comiers, "Pratique Curieuse", 1735. </font></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>The Sibylline books</b> were consulted by Romans from the time of the republic through to the end of the Empire. The books were destroyed with the temple of Jupiter in 83 BC, but a copy was found and arbitrated. Augustus moved them to temple of Apollo in 12 BC. There are many references to these books over time, here are just three for illustration. Livy writes of the books being consulted in 399 BC after bout of pestilence:</p><p><br /></p><blockquote><p><font size="4">“As neither a cause nor a cure could be found for its fatal ravages, the senate ordered the Sibylline Books to be consulted.”</font></p><p><font size="4">- <a href="https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Liv.%205.13&lang=original" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Liv.%205.13&lang=original" rel="nofollow">Livy 5.13</a></font></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>This resulted in a <i>lectisternium</i> being set up for the first time i.e. a couch (pulvinar) for images of the gods to recline with a meal served to them on a table. Seutonius reports that rumors about Julius Caesar’s desires to be king were fueled by a Sibylline prophesy.</p><p><br /></p><blockquote><p><font size="4">“it was written in the books of fate that the Parthians could be conquered only by a king”</font></p><p><font size="4">-<a href="https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#79.3" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#79.3" rel="nofollow">Seutonius, Julius Caesar, 79.3</a></font></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>Marcellinus writes that Julian the Apostate consulted the books before marching against the Sassanids in AD 363.</p><p><br /></p><blockquote><p><font size="4"> “Just at that time it was reported to him by letter, that at Rome the Sibylline books had been consulted about this war, as he had ordered, and had given the definite reply that the emperor must not that year leave his frontiers.”</font></p><p><font size="4">-<a href="https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Ammian/23*.html#1.7" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Ammian/23*.html#1.7" rel="nofollow">Marcellinus, XXIII.1.7</a></font></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><b>Where did these books come from?</b> According to Roman tradition, they came from the <b>Sibyl of Cumae</b> who got them from <b>Erythrae</b>, and they came there from <b><a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0064%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DG%3Aentry+group%3D4%3Aentry%3Dgergis-geo" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0064%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DG%3Aentry+group%3D4%3Aentry%3Dgergis-geo" rel="nofollow">Gergis</a></b>. <a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0160:book=10:chapter=12" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0160:book=10:chapter=12" rel="nofollow">Pausanias tells</a> of the Sibyl named Herophile who lived in Samos and known to the inhabitants of Marpessus, a village near Gergis. This "Trojan Sibyl" is the source of the books that eventually made their way to Rome.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>The Sibylline books come to Rome</b></p><p>Lucius Tarquinus Superbus was the legendary 7th king of Rome, who was eventually overthrown and replaced with two consuls. According to <a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Gel.%201.19&lang=original" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Gel.%201.19&lang=original" rel="nofollow">the account of Gellius</a> the Cumaean Sibyl offered the books three time to King Tarquin for a high price. After each refusal she burned 3 of the 9 books, so that King Tarquin finally relented and bought the last 3 for the original full price.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Where is Gergis?</b></p><p>Gergis, Troas is in the Northwestern corner of what is today modern Turkey, that juts into the Aegean Sea.</p><p><img src="https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/images/maps/map-troas.png" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><font size="3">CC image linked from <a href="https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/troas" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/troas" rel="nofollow">Corpus Nummorum</a></font></p><p><br /></p><p><b>And the coin?</b></p><p>The coin is from the original location of the Sibylline books. I find this coin a challenge to photograph. While not completely dissatisfied with the result, it is one that I will say is nicer in hand. Perhaps this is the result of the magnification on a small coin like this and too much glare from the lighting.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1134542[/ATTACH]</p><p>Troas, Gergis, circa 350-300 BC, Æ (12mm, 1.72g, 6h)</p><p><b>Obv: </b>Head of Sibyl Herophile facing slightly right, wearing laurel wreath and pendant necklace</p><p><b>Rev: </b>Sphinx seated right, ΓEP downwards to right</p><p><b>Ref:</b> Corpus Num <a href="https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/coins?id=24374" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/coins?id=24374" rel="nofollow">24374</a>; Traite des Monnaies <a href="https://archive.org/details/traitdesmonnaie00morggoog/page/n365/mode/2up" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://archive.org/details/traitdesmonnaie00morggoog/page/n365/mode/2up" rel="nofollow">Plate CLXVI.14</a></p><p><br /></p><p>As always, comments, corrections and additional references are appreciated. <b>Share your coins of Troas, Sibyls, sphinxes or anything else that your find interesting or entertaining.</b>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Sulla80, post: 4580872, member: 99456"][B][ATTACH=full]1134553[/ATTACH][/B] [SIZE=1]Public Domain image, C. Comiers, "Pratique Curieuse", 1735. [/SIZE] [B] The Sibylline books[/B] were consulted by Romans from the time of the republic through to the end of the Empire. The books were destroyed with the temple of Jupiter in 83 BC, but a copy was found and arbitrated. Augustus moved them to temple of Apollo in 12 BC. There are many references to these books over time, here are just three for illustration. Livy writes of the books being consulted in 399 BC after bout of pestilence: [INDENT][SIZE=4]“As neither a cause nor a cure could be found for its fatal ravages, the senate ordered the Sibylline Books to be consulted.” - [URL='https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Liv.%205.13&lang=original']Livy 5.13[/URL][/SIZE][/INDENT] This resulted in a [I]lectisternium[/I] being set up for the first time i.e. a couch (pulvinar) for images of the gods to recline with a meal served to them on a table. Seutonius reports that rumors about Julius Caesar’s desires to be king were fueled by a Sibylline prophesy. [INDENT][SIZE=4]“it was written in the books of fate that the Parthians could be conquered only by a king” -[URL='https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#79.3']Seutonius, Julius Caesar, 79.3[/URL][/SIZE][/INDENT] Marcellinus writes that Julian the Apostate consulted the books before marching against the Sassanids in AD 363. [INDENT][SIZE=4] “Just at that time it was reported to him by letter, that at Rome the Sibylline books had been consulted about this war, as he had ordered, and had given the definite reply that the emperor must not that year leave his frontiers.” -[URL='https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Ammian/23*.html#1.7']Marcellinus, XXIII.1.7[/URL][/SIZE][/INDENT] [B]Where did these books come from?[/B] According to Roman tradition, they came from the [B]Sibyl of Cumae[/B] who got them from [B]Erythrae[/B], and they came there from [B][URL='http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0064%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DG%3Aentry+group%3D4%3Aentry%3Dgergis-geo']Gergis[/URL][/B]. [URL='http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0160:book=10:chapter=12']Pausanias tells[/URL] of the Sibyl named Herophile who lived in Samos and known to the inhabitants of Marpessus, a village near Gergis. This "Trojan Sibyl" is the source of the books that eventually made their way to Rome. [B]The Sibylline books come to Rome[/B] Lucius Tarquinus Superbus was the legendary 7th king of Rome, who was eventually overthrown and replaced with two consuls. According to [URL='http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Gel.%201.19&lang=original']the account of Gellius[/URL] the Cumaean Sibyl offered the books three time to King Tarquin for a high price. After each refusal she burned 3 of the 9 books, so that King Tarquin finally relented and bought the last 3 for the original full price. [B]Where is Gergis?[/B] Gergis, Troas is in the Northwestern corner of what is today modern Turkey, that juts into the Aegean Sea. [IMG]https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/images/maps/map-troas.png[/IMG] [SIZE=3]CC image linked from [URL='https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/troas']Corpus Nummorum[/URL][/SIZE] [B]And the coin?[/B] The coin is from the original location of the Sibylline books. I find this coin a challenge to photograph. While not completely dissatisfied with the result, it is one that I will say is nicer in hand. Perhaps this is the result of the magnification on a small coin like this and too much glare from the lighting. [ATTACH=full]1134542[/ATTACH] Troas, Gergis, circa 350-300 BC, Æ (12mm, 1.72g, 6h) [B]Obv: [/B]Head of Sibyl Herophile facing slightly right, wearing laurel wreath and pendant necklace [B]Rev: [/B]Sphinx seated right, ΓEP downwards to right [B]Ref:[/B] Corpus Num [URL='https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/coins?id=24374']24374[/URL]; Traite des Monnaies [URL='https://archive.org/details/traitdesmonnaie00morggoog/page/n365/mode/2up']Plate CLXVI.14[/URL] As always, comments, corrections and additional references are appreciated. [B]Share your coins of Troas, Sibyls, sphinxes or anything else that your find interesting or entertaining.[/B][/QUOTE]
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