AUTO-DA-FE • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Auto-da-fe

... were found, together with those written by the astrologer Manetho. The whole city was agitated, and searches proved that many young men preferred the study of the illicit science to that of Roman law. By order of the bishop a solemn auto-da-fe was made of all this literature, in the presence of the city officials and the clergy, and the most revolting passages were read in public, "in order to acquaint everybody with the conceited and vain promises of the demons," ...

— The Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism • Franz Cumont