In the heart of ancient Campania, amidst evocative volcanic landscapes and coasts furrowed by the Tyrrhenian Sea, stands the legendary figure of the Cumaean Sibyl. She is not merely a mythical figure, but a true meeting point between history, religion, and poetry: a priestess-oracle who embodied the human yearning to know the future and to dialogue with the gods. Her fame allowed the name of Cuma, today a fraction of the municipalities of Bacoli and Pozzuoli, in the province of Naples, went beyond local borders: Cuma became a symbol of "ancient wisdom" and the myths of ancient Cuma continued to inspire poets, philosophers and travellers over the centuries.
The "Cave of the Sibyl," the underground tunnel attributed to the priestess, is one of the most evocative attractions of the Phlegraean Fields Archaeological Park. According to tradition, oracular consultations took place here: leaves on which prophecies were written were transmitted to an underground wind that confused the words, rendering the Sibylline prophecies enigmatic and ambiguous. This aura of mystery nourished the imagination and fame of the Sibyl in the Roman and medieval world.
Origins and context: Cuma, a colony of Magna Graecia
Cumae, in Greek Kýmē (Italianized to Cuma), is considered the first Greek colony in western Italy. Its foundation is traditionally dated around the 8th century BC, probably between 740 and 730 BC (some sources even mention 750 BC). Historians and ancient sources (such as Strabo and Dionysius of Halicarnassus) attribute the initiative to colonists from the island of Euboea (from the cities of Chalcis and Eretria) or to a union with Aeolian elements from Cumae, in Asia Minor.
From the earliest decades, Cumae exploited its strategic position: perched on a promontory overlooking the Campanian plain and with access to the sea, it was connected to Tyrrhenian trade routes and maintained relations with nearby indigenous populations. The city soon extended its control over the Phlegraean coast, Misenum, and Puteoli, and even founded sub-colonies, consolidating its regional hegemony.
Religious, cultural and geopolitical function
Cumae's importance was not merely commercial: already in the Archaic period, it established itself as a religious and prophecy center, a factor that made its attraction irresistible to prophets and priestesses. The presence of the oracle entrusted to the Sibyl fits into this framework of a "sacred" city. According to tradition, the ancient Sibyl's Cave is located beneath the acropolis and connects, via a long tunnel, the Temple of Apollo to the heart of the city. This underground structure, approximately 131 meters long, was identified by archaeologist Amedeo Maiuri in 1932, based on Virgil's descriptions of the Aeneid. Archaeologists discovered that the tunnel features trapezoidal walls with light openings and a final chamber that likely served as an oracle chamber. However, some scholars propose alternative locations (for example, a hypogeum system near Baiae) as the possible location of the oracle, due to its geothermal configuration and the presence of underground flows that evoke infernal environments.
Over time, Cumae was ruled by various rulers (Samnites, Romans, Byzantines), but it always retained a strong cultural influence linked to the myth and memory of the Cumaean Sibyl. Virgil, in the Aeneid, places the Trojan hero Aeneas before the Sibyl's portal before descending into the underworld, conceiving of Cumae as a symbolic center of mediation between the earthly world and the underworld.
The Cumaean Sibyl: Voice of the Oracle and the Nature of Prophecies
The Cumaean Sibyl's most powerful appeal lies in her prophecies, which allowed her to serve as a bridge between the gods and the human world. Ancient sources and literary tradition offer various versions of her methods and the nature of her responses.
According to one of the best-known legends, Apollo loved the Sibyl and granted her a wish in exchange for her devotion.
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Writing, wind and ambiguity
Sibylline prophecies were often written on leaves, tablets, or boards: according to sources, the Sibyl wrote her prophecies on palm leaves or similar supports in Greek hexameters. The problem was that, in the oracular cave attributed to Cumae, underground winds blew through numerous openings that mingled the leaves, making it difficult to reconstruct the original order of the response. Hence the adjective "sibylline" (enigmatic, obscure) to indicate a deliberately obscure and polysemous language. Virgil, in the Aeneid (Book VI), portrays the Sibyl as Aeneas's guide to the underworld, highlighting her role not only as a prophet but also as a mediator between the worlds of the living and the dead. In that passage, the Sibyl warns Aeneas that the descent is not a simple act, that the journey will be perilous, and that he must offer a sacrifice, follow rituals, and obtain a golden bough to pass through to the underworld. A further narrative element is the request to sacrifice seven bulls, perform rites and invoke chthonous deities (such as Persephone or Proserpina) during the oracular consultation.
The Sibylline Books and the Offering to Tarquin
A key episode in the tradition surrounding the Cumaean Sibyl is the legend of the offering of the Sibylline Books to the king of Rome, Tarquin the Proud. According to Latin sources (such as Varro, Gellius, Dionysius of Halicarnassus), the Sibyl offered the king nine volumes of prophecies for the price of 300 denominations (precious coins). When the king refused, she burned three books and offered the remaining six again at the same price. Tarquin again refused, so the Sibyl burned three more books, leaving only three for sale at the original price, which the king eventually accepted. The Sibylline Books, purchased by the king, were kept in the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill and consulted by the Romans only in times of public emergency (disaster, war). When the temple was destroyed (83 BC), the books were also lost, and they were reconstituted by gathering oracles from various regions of the empire.
Thus, the Cumaean Sibyl became an integral part of the Roman oracular heritage: her prophecies, though often obscure, were invoked at decisive moments in the history of the city and the state.
Sibilla Cumana
myths of ancient Cumae
The prophecies of the Cumaean Sibyl and the myths of ancient Cumae
Discover the history and legends of the Cumaean Sibyl, the oracle of Cumae, and be fascinated by the myths of ancient Cumae, through archaeology, literature, and age-old prophecies.
Comments (1)
The story of the Cumaean Sibyl is fascinating, but I've noticed that many details remain unclear. I hope there will be further articles that delve deeper into the Sibylline Books and the prophecies.