Erythraean sibyl

human_specialist earth Greco-Roman single tradition · 1

The Erythraean sibyl is a prophetic figure mentioned in early Christian writings as the author of a famous acrostic that spells out the name of Jesus Christ. Sibyls in antiquity were regarded as seers who delivered divine messages, often in poetic form. This particular sibyl is linked to a mystical interpretation of the fish symbol (ἰχθύς).

When

First attested
300 CE
Attested period
300 – 400
Historical notes
The sibyl is referenced by Lactantius and Eusebius in the 4th century CE.

Relationships

Expand to full subgraph →

Sources

encyclopedia (1)
  1. peer reviewed

Source passages

“One of the most remarkable acrostics was contained in the verses cited by Lactantius and Eusebius in the 4th century, and attributed to the Erythraean sibyl”

#43667 · extracted by openai/gpt-oss-120b:free