i. [ Σιβνλλα τι θελεισ ]
ii.[ αποθανειν θελω." ]
Latin and Greek - From the Satyricon of Petronius (d. A.D. 66), chapter 48.
With my own eyes I saw the Sybil of Cumae hanging in a bottle; and when the boys said to her: "[Sybil, what do you want?]" she replied, "[I want to die.]"
The text in brackets is the Greek portion of the epigraph.
Browsers may not display the Greek correctly but the quotes are:
i. [
Σιβνλλα
τι
θελεισ
]
ii.[
αποθανειν
θελω."
]
The Sibyl was a prophetess and was suspended in a bottle in the temple of
Hercules at Cumae (near Naples). She was granted long life by Apollo,
as many years as grains of sand she held in her hand,
but she had forgotten to ask to retain her youth. With her aging she
withered away.