The sibylline oracles

Milton Spenser Terry

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• Langue: English
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9j.U.y9?THE
OraclesgiBYLLiNE
TRANSLATED
FROM TI/E GREEK INTO ENGLISH BLANK VERSE
P.V
MILTON S. TERRY
in GarrettProfessor Biblical Institute
NEH' YORK': HUNT b' EA TO.V
C/XC/X.VA TI : CRANSTON &• STOlfE
1890mf^i.
LiB
JAN
^\/^.
Copyright, 1890. by
HUNT it EATON,
Nkw York.PREFACE
The Oracles are a collection ofSibylline pscudepigrai)lial
venerable for their and valuable for tlieirpoems, antiquity,
of the and of the Christianexhibition spirit thought early
In to be the utterances of the most an-centuries. assuming
are like the Bookcient obviously spurious, but,Sibyls they
of and the Ascension ofof theEnocli, Assumption Moses,
athese Jewish-ChristianIsaiah, ])oems possess permanent
ofvalue for the and the student history. Theytheologian
life and senti-3, notable of ancient religiousrepresent phase
re-and their asment, imperfections literary productionsvery
civilization andveal to the critical reader tendencies inhuman
sointellectual which he can nowhere else clearlyactivity
trace.
JustinThese books are Josephus,Sibylline quoted by
andClement of Alexandria, Lactantius,Martyr, Athenagoras,
asother Christian and are treated some of themfathers, by
Theif were as authoritative as the Scriptures.they Holy
of these and similar books to current
relation, accordingly,
discussions in the of biblical criticism anddepartment
canonics is of a character. have alsovery noteworthy They
no little in the modern ofacquired importance study apoc-
Liicke and Stuart them much and at-
alyptics. give space
in their learned works on the Revelation of andtention John,
literature has around as willa considerable them,grown up
be seen in the Introduction.
f(jll(iwing
desirable that these oracles should be madeIt seems very
to readers. The old version ofaccessible English Floyer
has been out of contains the firstlong print, onl^- eigliL4 PREFA CE.
and is to discussions wliich have become obso-books, given
lete the of scientific criticism. The workby progress present
is an to these famous into as readableattem2>t put Sibyllines
as is consistent with of translation. TheEnglisli accuracy
form of heroic blank verse has been chosen as on the whole
best to readers the of the Greekrepresenting English S[)irit
hexameters. It would not have been difiicult in numerous
to have made better and better sense thanpassages poetry
can be found in the Greek but such a would
original, liberty
and of awork that assumesviolate the proj^rietiesobligations
to be a faithful ti'anslation.
It must be remembered that the Greek text of these books
has come down to us in a mutilated in astate,very corrupt
number of and notable for its meters.
jolaces, imperfect
of the and historical allusions are obscureMany geographical
and and the several books contain numerousuncertain, rep-
etitions. For tlie convenience of the critical reader the
lines of the Greek text are indicated at thecorresponding
foot of each of the and in the notes refer-page translation,
ences are furnished to the in the of theplaces writings
Christian fathers and other ancient authors where the Sibyl
similar sentiments It isis or where occur.quoted, hojDcd
and foot-notes will also thethat our Introduction supply
ininformation which readers will but itgeneral desire;
Avhich allshould be observed that there are passagesmany
of scholai-s hitherto failedthe learnincc and insrenuitv have
to make clear.
I in to indebtednessdesire, conclusion, acknowledge my
to Professor R. of the North-western Uni-Joseph Taylor,
infor his the preparationversity, very helpful co-operation
both of the translation and the notes also to Professor
;
Charles Ilorswell for assistance in the ti-anslation of the third
book. I\Iv thanks are also due to Professors Baird and
for valuable M. S. T.Bradley sucrorestions.
1890.Ev^ANSTON, September^TO
MY BELOVED COLLEAGUES
IN THB
PAGULTY
OF
GARRETT BIBLICAL INSTITUTE,
M. Raymond, D.D., C. W. Bennett, D.D., LL.D.,LL.D.,
H. B. C. F.RiuGAWAY, D.D., LL.D., Bradlky, D.D.,
Instribti.3fftrtionalfl2INTRODUCTION.
in the traditions amiThe Sibyls aoccupy conspicuous place
Tlieir fame wasof ancient Greece and Rome. spreadhistory
of Christian He-abroad lontj before the becrinninil the era.
raclitus of some five comparedEphesus, centurie3_Bj_C.,
"
himself to the who, mouth,Sibyl speaWng^ith inspired
without a without and withoutsmile, ornament, perfume,
centuries the of thepenetrates through by power gods."
Various to liave been uttered the Sib-oracles, purporting by
are found in the of Pausanias, Plutarch,yls, writings Livy,
and other ancient authors of less From all which
celebrity.
it that were female believed toappears they prophets,
be with a of the and tofuture,gifted knowledge inspired
make known the fate of andindividuals, cities, kingdoms.
The most ancient and famous of the was the oneSibyls
who dwelt in the cave at near on the coastCuma?, Xeapolis,
of To her solemn and sacred ^neas
Italy. place journeyed
when lie would learn the destinies of the and shefuture,
to him secrets of the lower and served astheopened world,
his as has so described in theguide therein, Virgil finely
sixth book of yEneiJ. The ancient about thisthe story
Cuma?an is that became enamored of andSibyl Apollo her,
offered her whatever she ask of him. She asked thatmight
to live as as she heldshe bemight i)erniitted many years
of her The at once hersand in hand.grains god granted
to his love. He there-but she refusedrequest, reciprocate
decreed that her life should be to her a burdenupon long
rather than a for she should b^' without freshnessblessing,THE8 SIBYLLINE ORACLES.
and Slie is said to have been seven liundredbeauty. years
old when ^neas came to bnt she was doomed to live
Italy,
as more before the number of her wouldnearly many years
that of the sands she had and her ultimate des-held,equal
Avas to wither and become a voice. Shetiny quite away, only
also bore the names of Herophile, Deiphobe, Demophile,
and Amalthea.Phenomine, Demo,
One of the oldest of a heathen oracle is that ofspecimens
as in Herodotus son ofDelphi, preserved (vi, 86). Glaucus,
is said to have received from the Milesians aEpicydes, large
sum of and a itto restore whenmoney, given pledge prop-
thedemanded. demand was madeerly When, however, by
the Glaucus to be of suchMilesians, professed ignorant any
While the matter was he went to Del-obligation. pending
and theconsulted and received the fol-l^hi oracle,Pythian
:lowing response
Glaucus cf Epicycles, greater gain
Immediate is it oath toby overcome,
And talse tlie as swearmoney by force; then,
Since death awaits the man that his oath.keeps
But Orcus has a nameless nor handsson,
Nor feet are but swift he moveshis, along,
seized a whole race heTill, having destroys.
And all tiie house. But the race of the man
Who his oath is better afterward.keeps
In this we observe what was so characteristic ofresponse
the heathen an element of anoracles, uncertainty, enigmat-
ical While the answer contains a wholesome wordobscurity.
of it also with us in a kind of double sense.counsel, palters
other be collected from theMany examples might writings
of the ancients. Some of these writers as if therespeak
were but one others mention several. inPausanias,Sibyl,
liis Greece mentions "theDescription x,of (book chap, xii),
first as the most ancient of all the aHerophile" Sibyls,
of Zeus and Lamia and a second whodaughter ; Herophile,