Sibile şi filosofi păgâni în cultura română

In ancient times, among the Greeks and Romans, the Sibyls were legendary women who were credited with the gift of prophecy. Etymologically, Sibyl comes from the Latin Sibylle and represented the priestesses of the god Apollo, who had the gift of prophecy, among the Greeks and Romans. The sibyls foretold the Messiah and had a role in the psychological preparation of the pagan world. For this, the Sibyls enjoyed the honor of being represented in Byzantine painting. In Romanian culture, sibyls penetrate due to the influence of some artistic iconographic currents: Western-Italian in Moldova, through Poland, Greek in Wallachia, through the Erminii. The coming of Jesus Christ to earth was foretold not only by the sibyls and prophets of the "chosen people", but also by the most enlightened minds of pagan antiquity. Pagan philosophers appear in the theme of our medieval wall painting due to the exclusive influence of the Renaissance. Among the pagan philosophers, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle are the most often painted and placed with great honor on the walls of our monasteries and churches. These pagan philosophers speak of the "Idea" as an ontological principle, and this will later be identified in Christian thought with God. The present research aims to highlight the role played by the Pagan Sibyls and Philosophers in ancient literature and in our church painting. At the same time, we also make a philosophical interpretation of the sibyls and pagan philosophers painted on the exterior walls of some churches or monasteries on the territory of our country.