| Gods/Heroes - Italy - SIBYL... |
| Share travel photos on the Exploitz.com website, the leading travel photography site on the Internet! |
| |
 Italy Hotels Italy Hostels Italy Sights Italy Posters Customize your home,school or office with a Italy poster! Florence 398526 Italy 1935 399235 Italian Aerial Lines 397466 Viobuton and Co Bologna Palazzo Dell Accademia Italian Poppies serigraph Tuscany I 357561 Palazzo Last View of Tuscany Positano The Amalfi Coast Portofino I Venice 129555 American Girl in Italy 1951 151245 Italian Cypress In Bibl Vaticana Carnival of Venice Summer House in Tuscany Sguardo Su Portofino 318366 American Girl in Italy 1951 Sunflowers in Umbria Italy View from the Palazzo Portofino Sunlight Venice Canal 264872 Italian Wine Landscape Italian Travels I Italian Travels II 362830 View to the Amalfi Coast Pergola in Amalfi 326785 View to The Amalfi Coast 147533 Pergola in Amalfi 147535 Distesa di Girasoli Italian Place Italian Waves I Italian Waves II Portofino 264946 Venice 400879 Portovenere Italy Italian Excursion Portofino Valley Images of Venice I 416352 Images of Venice II Images of Venice III Images of Venice IV 416355 At Portofino Last Supper 310108 In Museo Vaticano I In Museo Vaticano II Eden Bologna 394863 Campionato Italiano 394612 Florence Italy 1935 |
 |
Index | pg. 96 |Previous Page - Next Page SIBYL ...THE SIBYLAs AEneas and the Sibyl pursued their way back to earth, he said to her, "Whether thou be a goddess or a mortal beloved by the gods, by me thou shalt always be held in reverence. When I reach the upper air, I will cause a temple to be built to thy honor, and will myself bring offerings." "I am no goddess," said the Sibyl; "I have no claim to sacrifice or offering. I am mortal; yet if I could have accepted the love of Apollo, I might have been immortal. He promised me the fulfilment of my wish, if I would consent to be his. I took a handful of sand, and holding it forth, said, 'Grant me to see as many birthdays as there are sand-grains in my hand.' Unluckily I forgot to ask for enduring youth. This also he would have granted, could I have accepted his love, but offended at my refusal, he allowed me to grow old. My youth and youthful strength fled long ago. I have lived seven hundred years, and to equal the number of the sand-grains, I have still to see three hundred springs and three hundred harvests. My body shrinks up as years increase, and in time, I shall be lost to sight, but my voice will remain, and future ages will respect my sayings." These concluding words of the Sibyl alluded to her prophetic power. In her cave she was accustomed to inscribe on leaves gathered from the trees the names and fates of individuals. The leaves thus inscribed were arranged in order within the cave, and might be consulted by her votaries. But if perchance at the opening of the door the wind rushed in and dispersed the leaves, the Sibyl gave no aid to restoring them again, and the oracle was irreparably lost. The following legend of the Sibyl is fixed at a later date. In the reign of one of the Tarquins there appeared before the king a woman who offered him nine books for sale. The king refused to purchase them, whereupon the woman went away and burned three of the books, and returning offered the remaining books for the same price she had asked for the nine. The king again rejected them; but when the woman, after burning three books more, returned and asked for the three remaining the same price which she had before asked for the nine, his curiosity was excited, and he purchased the books. They were found to contain the destinies of the Roman state. They were kept in the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, preserved in a stone chest, and allowed to be inspected only by especial officers appointed for that duty, who on great occasions consulted them and interpreted their oracles to the people. There were various Sibyls; but the Cumaean Sibyl, of whom Ovid and Virgil write, is the most celebrated of them. Ovid's story of her life protracted to one thousand years may be intended to represent the various Sibyls as being only reappearances of one and the same individual. It is now believed that some of the most distinguished Sibyls took the inspiration of their oracles from the Jewish scripture. Readers interested in this subject will consult, "Judaism," by Prof. F. Huidekoper. Young, in the Night Thoughts, alludes to the Sibyl. Speaking of worldly Wisdom, he says: "If future fate she plans 'tis all in leaves, Like Sibyl, unsubstantial, fleeting bliss; At the first blast it vanishes in air. . . . . . As worldly schemes resemble Sibyl's leaves, The good man's days to Sibyl's books compare, The price still rising as in number less." Index | pg. 96 |Previous Page - Next Page Italy Hotels - Italy Hostels - Italy Sights ................................................................ Other popular Italy book pages: Macaroni with Tomatoes Macaroni alla Casalinga Macaroni al Sughillo Macaroni alla Livornese Tagliarelle and Lobster Polenta Polenta Pasticciata |
|
Italy Travel Guide A good starting point for researching Italy for travel or reference. Venice - Piazza St. Marco (St. Mark's Square) Venice - Gondola along the Grand Canal Venice - Walking around Venice Streets Venice - Pictures from the Venice canals Venice - From the Train Station to St. Mark's 1 Venice - From the Train Station to St. Mark's 2 Ceasar's European Discovery Pictures. Italy Pg.1 Breathtaking Italy and France Ceasar's European Discovery Pictures. Italy Pg. 2 Florence and Venice Arno River in Florence Campania |
