The Soothsayer, the Sibylline Books and the Last King of Rome

For centuries, Rome’s most powerful leaders turned to forbidden prophecies locked away in sacred books that could never be read by ordinary citizens. These mysterious texts - the Sibylline Books - allegedly contained divine wisdom delivered by ancient prophetesses driven mad by their visions of the future. When crisis threatened the eternal city, only fifteen high priests could unlock their secrets and interpret guidance from the gods. But were these books genuine oracles of supernatural power, or simply a convenient tool for Roman rulers to justify their decisions under the cloak of divine authority? The strange tale of how Rome’s last king acquired these prophetic volumes, and their ultimate fiery destruction as the empire crumbled, reveals one of antiquity’s most enduring mysteries.