Sibylline Books

The Sibylline Books were a collection of oracular prophecies in ancient Rome, consulted by priests during times of crisis to determine how to appease the gods.

According to legend, a sibyl offered nine books to the last Roman king; when he refused, she burned three and offered the rest at the same price, repeating until he bought the final three.

The books were kept in the Temple of Jupiter and consulted only by decree of the Senate.

They were destroyed in 83 BCE, though later compilations attempted to replace them.