Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

.1044 SIBYLLINI LIBRI. SIGNA'MILITAI lA.
Cic. de Div. i. 43; Liv. xxii. 57). They were' the burning of the temple on the Capitol,'were
consulted in the case of prodigies and calamities, undoubtedly. written in Greek verses, and were
buet it is difficult to ascertain whether they contained acrostics (,&KpoO-rXiL, Cic. de Div. ii. 54,; Dionys.
predictions, or mnerely directions as to what was to 1. c.). Along with the Sibylline books were prebe done for conciliating or appeasing the gods, in served under the guard of the same officers the
consequence of the mystery which enveloped them books of the two prophetic brothers, the Marcii
-from the time that one of their keepers was put to (Serv. ad Firy. Aen. vi. 72; Cic. de Div. i. 40,
death for divulging their secrets. (Dionys. I. c.; ii. 55), the Etruscan prophecies of the nymph
Valer. Max. i. 1. ~ 13.) Niebuhr remarks from Bygoe, and those of Albuia or Albunea of Tibur.
the instances in Livy, that the original books were (Lactant. i. 6.) Those of the Marcii, which had
not consulted, as the Greek oracles were, for the not been placed there at the time of the battle of
purpose of getting light concerning future events; Cannae, were written in Latin: a few remains of
but to learn what worship was required by the them have come down to us in Livy (xxv. 12) and
gods, when they had manifested their wrath by Macrobius (Sat. i. 17). See Niehuhr, vol. i. 1.
national calamities or prodigies. Accordingly we 507; Giittling, Geschz. d. Roin. Staatsv. p. 213'
find that the instruction they give is in the same Hartung, Die Religion d. Rvsser, vol. i. p. 129, &c.
spirit; prescribing what honour was to be paid to SICA, dima. SICILA, whence the English sickle,
the deities already recognized, or what new ones and SICILICULA (Plaut. Red. iv. 4. 125), a
were to be imported from abroad. They were pro- curved dagger, adapted by its form to be concealed
bably written on palm-leaves (Serv. ad Virg. Aesn. under the clothes, and therefore carried by robbers
iii. 444, vi. 74), and it is not unlikely that the and murderers. [AcINACES.] (Cic. Cat. iii. 3.)
leaves of the Cumaean Sibyl described by Virgil Sica may be translated a scimitar to distinguislh
were designed as an allusion to the form of the it from PUGIO, which denoted a dagger of the
Sibylline books. Their nature being such, Niebuhr common kind. Sicasiels, though properly meaning
supposes that they were referred to in the same one who murdered with the sica, was applied to
way as Eastern nations refer to the Koran and to murderers in general. (Quintil. x. ~ 12.) Hence
Hafiz: they did not search for a passage and apply the forms de sicariis and inter sicairios were used in
it, but probably only shuffled the palm leaves andl the criminal courts in reference to murder. Thus
then drew one. jcdicizms inter sicarios, "a trial for murder" (Cic.
WVhen the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus was pro Rose. 5); defezndere inter sicarios, " to defend
burnt in B. C. 82, the Sibylline books perished in against a charge of murder " (Phil. ii. 4). [J. Y.]
the fire; and in order to restore them, ambassadors STCA'RIUS. [SICA; LEx CORNELIA, p. 687.1
wele sent to various towns in Italy, Greece, and SICILICUS. [SCRPUvLuas; UNCIA.]
Asia Minor, to make fiesh collections, which on SIGILLA'RIA. [SATUItNALIA.]
the rebuilding of the temple were deposited ill the SIGMA. [MENsA.]
same place that the former had occupied. (Dionys. SIGNA MILITA'RIA (rel/sUa, estCieal),
1. c.) But as a great many prophetic books, many military ensigns or standards. The most ancient
of them pietending to be Sibyllilne: oracles, had got standard employed by the Roemanls is msoid to have
into general circulation at Rome, Augustus corn- been a handful of straw fixed to the top of a spear
manded that all such books should be delivered up or pole. Hence the company of soldiers, belonging
to the praetor urbanus by a certain day and burnt, to it, was called Alfanipelzss. [ExERCITUS, p.
and that in future none should be kept by ally 500, b.] The bundle of hay or fern was soon suc,
private person. More than 2000 prophetic books ceeded by the figures of animals, of which Plilly
were thus delivered up and burnt, and those which (H. N. x. 4. s. 5) enumerates five, viz. the eagle,,
were considered genuine and were in the custody the wolf, the minotaur (Festus, s.v. Aiinotacu.),
of the state were deposited in twvo gilt cases at the horse, and the boar. In the second consulship
the base of the statue of Apollo, in the temple of of Marius, B. c. 104, the four quadrupeds were enthat god on the Palatine, and were entrusted as tirely laid aside as stanldards, the eagle being alone
before to the Quindecemvi. (Suet.Ausg. 31; Tacit. retained. It was made of silver, or bronze, and
Alni. vi. 12.) The writing of those belonging to with expanded wings, but was probably of a small
the state had faded by time, and Augustus coln- size, since a standard-bearer (signifer) iunder Julils
meanded the priests to write thenl over again. Caesar is said in circumstances of danger to havoe
(Dion Cass. liv. 17.) A fresh examination of the wrenched the eagle from its staff and concealed it
Sibylline books was again made by Tiberius, and in the folds of his girdle. (Flor. iv. 12.)
many rejected, which were considered spurious. Under the later emperors the eagle was carried,
(Dion Cass. lvii. 18.) A few years afterwards, as it had been for many centuries, with the legion,:
also in the reign of Tiberius, it was proposed to a legion being on that account sometimes calle&d
add a new volume of Sibylline oracles to the re- aquila (Hirt. Bell. rliesp. 39), aud at the same tisme
ceived collection. (Tacit. 1. c,) each cohort had for its own ensign the serpent or
The Christian writers frequently appeal to the dragon (draco, 6pdcwov,), which was woven on a
Sibylline verses as containing prophecies of the square piece of cloth (textilis asguzis, Sidon. Apoll.
Messiah; but these in most cases are clearly Ca7rie. v. 409), elevated on a gilt staff, to which a
forgeries. A complete collection of Sibylline ora- cross-bar was adapted for the purpose (Thlenlist.
cles was published by Gallaeus, Amst. 1689: frag- Orat. i. p. 1, xviii. p. 267, ed. Dindorf; Clauments of. them have also been published by Mai, dian, iv. Coins. Floenor. 546; vi. Cons. ioenor. 566),'
Milan 1817, and Struve, Regiomont. 1818. (Comn- and carried by the draconaeiss. (Veget. de Ra
pare Heidbreede, de Sibyllis Dissetat., Berol. iil. ii. 13; compare Tac. Ann. i. 18.)
1835.) Another figure used in the standards was a ball
The Sibylline books were also called Fatae Sibyl-' (pile), supposed to have been emblematic of the
lina (Cic. Cat. iii. 4), and Libri Fatales. (Liv. v. dominion of Rome over the world (Isid.- Orig.:
15, xxii. 57.) Those that were collected after xviii. 3); and for the same reason a bronze figure