Download or read book Sibyls and Sibylline Prophecy in Classical Antiquity written by Herbert William Parke and published by . This book was released on 1988 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In antiquity a considerable number of books of prophecies went under the general title of Sybilline Oracles. Rulers consulted them in time of danger or crisis for advice and prognoses. One of the distinguishing characteristics of Sibyls was that they composed discursive verses for distribution the world at large. This is an authoritative account of a subject both rarely treated in recent decades and difficult of access for all but the most expert. In its pursuit of the sometimes elusive Sybils it ranges from Heraclitus to Eusebius, from Archaic Asia Minor to Christian Rome, throwing important light on religion, poetry and politics in the ancient world. -- From publisher's description.