Persian Sibyl

The Persian Sibyl is one of the by Varro, a Roman writer of the 1st century BC, of Lactantius distinguished ten Sibyls, each provided with a geographic epithet ..

Other sources of Greek and Roman antiquity contain no evidence of Sibylle especially from that time understood as Persia geographic regions. Possibly the designation of a Sibyl is generally understood as a Persian in recognition of the long tradition of Sehertums in these regions, especially in later times this Sibyl is often referred to as Babylonian or Chaldean Sibyl. Also, like the spread of her " prophecies " were very old subordinate.

Since Persian satraps already practiced long impact on the small Asian region, it is likely that by Persian centers such as Babylon ago developed since time immemorial understanding of prophecy and dream interpretation in Asia Minor of honoring female Sehertums met and summarized from there also in the Hellenistic room a term was.

Following Lactantius understood Christian Middle Ages and Renaissance, the Persian Sibyl as a prophet almost equivalent to the pagan proclaimer of a divine expectation.

In the art of Gothic and Renaissance, the Persian Sibyl is usually depicted with reference to Varro as one in a series of Sibyls often. In juxtaposition to an often equal number of prophets of the Old Testament

The most well-known pictorial representation is the Persica Michelangelo in fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, where a total of five Sibyls are alternating with seven prophets. She is portrayed as an old woman, the oldest of the Sibyls there.

Other representations of a Persian Sibyl are, inter alia, to be found at the following locations:

• Ulm, half - Gothic sculpture in the choir of the cathedral, as one of ten Sibyls, the total work of art with numerous ancient scholars and prophets
• Rome, Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, as one of four Sibyls by Pinturicchio