Silenus

or Si·le·nos, Sei·le·nos

[ sahy-lee-nuhs ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Classical Mythology.

, plural Si·le·ni [sahy-, lee, -nahy]

a forest spirit, sometimes referred to as the oldest of the satyrs and the foster father, teacher, and companion of Dionysus: often represented as a bearded old man.
(lowercase) any of a group of forest spirits similar to satyrs: often represented as a drunken old man with the legs and ears of a horse.

Silenus

/ saɪˈliːnəs /

chief of the satyrs and foster father to Dionysus: often depicted riding drunkenly on a donkey
Silenisaɪˈliːnəɪ often not capital one of a class of woodland deities, closely similar to the satyrs

The like may be observed both in the "Pollio" and the "Silenus," where the similitudes are drawn from the woods and meadows.

But indeed he seems not to have ever drank out of Silenus's tankard, when he composed either his Critique or Pastorals.

The rustics watched the sleeping Silenus for a long time, wondering who he might be.

He had a jovial, rotund face, covered in large part by a bushy beard, and would have done excellently as a model for Silenus.

At the summit of the picture Bacchus and Silenus wave wine-glasses while respectively standing and sitting on hogsheads.

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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