Sibyl of Cumae Roman A prophetess who lived in a cave below a temple to Apollo in Cumae, a port in the Bay of Naples on Italy's western coast on the shores of Lake Averna.

Sibyl of Cumae Roman A prophetess who lived in a cave below a temple to Apollo in Cumae, a port in the Bay of Naples on Italy's western coast on the shores of Lake Averna. Some historians believe the Sibyl of Cumae was first known as the Sibyl of Erythrae, a city in Greece. This Sibyl, which was the woman's name and came to identify a female prophet, is said to have left Greece and settled in Italy after the god Apollo promised her as many years of life as the grains of sand she could hold in her hand if she left her homeland and never returned. In Italy, the Sibyl of Cumae is said to have offered to sell nine prophetic books to one of the last kings of Rome, Tarquinius Superbus, but, not recognizing her or her power, he refused to pay the price. The Sibyl left, burned three of the books and returned to offer Tarquinius six for the same price as nine. He refused. She burned three more and returned again to offer him three books for the price of nine. Having learned who she was, Tarquinius bought the three, and then and there the sibyl vanished. Her written words of prophecy, which came to be known as the Sybilline Books, gained a powerful influence over the development of Roman religion, particularly as it was influenced by Greek religion.