Identifier: storyofromefrome00macg (find matches)
Title: The story of Rome, from the earliest times to the death of Augustus, told to boys and girls
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Macgregor, Mary
Subjects: Rome -- History
Publisher: London, Edinburgh : T. C. & E. C. Jack
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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s in theCampania, and was the most ancient of the Greek townsin Italy. The prophecies were written on loose leaves,and in them, said the strange woman, the Idng would readthe destiny of Rome, and how to fulfil it. But the stranger asked so large a sum of money for thenine books that the king laughed and refused to buy. Quietly, before the kings eyes the woman burned threeof the nine books. Then, turning to him again, she offeredthe six books for the same price as she had before demandedfor the nine. Tarquin laughed still more scornfully, and refused tobuy the six as he had already refused to buy the nine books. Quietly as before the woman burned three more booksbefore the eyes of the king. Then turning to him she offeredthe three books that were left for the same sum. Then the king laughed no more. He began to wonderif perhaps the gods had sent the books to Rome. So heconsulted the augurs, and by their advice he now boughtthe three books for the sum which would have bought thenine. 46
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riUe carried in her arms uine boulca. THE BOOKS OF THE SIBYL 47 The strange woman, having done her work, disappearedand was seen no more, while the books were put in a chestand kept in the Capitol, which was now complete. Two Greeks were appointed to guard the Sibylline books,for they were written in the Greek language. And everwhen death, pestilence, or war threatened the city, thebooks were consulted by the augurs, if perchance Rome mightbe saved from destruction. Many years after the reign of Tarquin the Capitol wasburned, and the sacred books were destroyed in the fire. To the Romans the loss of the books was a greater blowthan even the destruction of the Capitol. The Senate sent ambassadors to Greece and to AsiaMinor to beseech the sibyls there to find fresh oracles, thatcalamity might still be averted from Rome. And the ambassadors were successful, for when theyreturned they brought with them new scrolls, which, whena new Capitol was built, were placed within its sacredprecincts

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