A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

822 SILAN US. SILENUS.
the abnepos of Augustus, the latter was his batars, SILA'NUS, LICI'NIUS, consul a. c. 20, is a
and not his atavus. (Tac. Ann. xii. 58, xv. 35; false reading in Dion Cassius (lv. 30) for Silianus.
Dion Cass. lxii. 27.) The fiull name of this consul was A. Licinius
15. L. JUNIUS TORQUATUS SILANUS, the son Nerva Silianus [NERVA, LICINIUS, No. 7].
of No. 12, and consequently the atnepos, or great- SILA'NUS, SERVI'LIUS, the name of two
great-great grandson of Augustus. In consequence consuls under Commllods, namely, M. Servilils
of the early death of his father, he was brought up Silanus in A. D. 188, and Q. Servilius Silanus in
in the house of the jurist Cassius, who had married A. D. 189 (Fasti).
his aunt Lepida; but his descent from Augustus, SILA'NUS, T. TIURPIILIUS, was appointed
as well as his virtues, rendered him an object of by Metellus in B. c. 108 commander of the town of
suspicion to Nero. He was accordingly accused Vaga or Vacca, in Numidia; but the inhabitants,
in A. D. 65, along with Cassius and his aunt urged on by Jugurtha, treacherously massacred all
Lepida. The crimes laid to the charge of Silanus the Roman garrison, with the exception of Turwere that he was aspiring to the empire, and that pilins Silanus, who escaped to the main body of
he had committed incest with his aunt Lepida. the Roman army. The conduct and escape of
Silanus was sentenced to banishment, and was Tllrpilius were suspicious; he was brought to trial
removed to Ostia, as if for the purpose of being before Metellus, and condemned; and, as he was
carried over to Naxus; but from Ostia he was a Latin and not a Roman citizen, Was scourged
conveyed to Barium, a municipium of Apulia, and and put to death. Plutarch relates that the innowas there shortly afterwards put to death. The cence of Turpilius was afterwards established; and
name of the month of Junius was now changed that Marius, who was present at the trial as an
into that of Germanicus, because the two Torquati assessor, had strongly urged Metellus to put him
had by their crimes rendered this name inaus- to death, in order thus to bring upon his compicious (Tac. Ann. xv. 52, xvi. 7-9, 12). This mander the odium of having condemned an innoL. Silanus is probably the same as the L. Silanus cent man (Sall. Jug. 66-69; Plut. Mar. 8).
whose statue was erected in the forum in the time SILENTIA'RIUS, PAULUS [PAuLus, liteof the younger Pliny (Ep. i. 17). This Silanus rary, No. 18].
appears to have been the last descendant of Julia, SILE'NUS or SEILE'NUS (:EelYo's). It
the granddaughter of Augustus. is remarked in the article Satyrus, that the older
16. C. JrNIUS SILANUS, consul suffectus under Satyrs were generally termed Sileni (comp. Schol.
Domitian in A. D. 92 (Fasti). ad Nicand. Alex. 31), but one of these Sileni is
17. JUNIUS SILANUS, consul under Commodus commonly the Silenus, who always acts a prominent
in A. D. 1 89 with Q. Servilius Silanus (Fasti). part in the retinue of Dionysus, from whom he is
18. JUNIUS SILANUS, consul suffectus under inseparable, and whom he is said to have brought
Maximinus in A. D. 237 (Fasti). up and instructed. (Diod. iv. 14; Orph. tIymn.
There are several coins of the Junia Gens with 53. 1.) Like the other Satyrs he is called a son of
the name of Silanus upon them. We annex two Hermes (Serv. ad Viry. Eclog. vi. 13), but others
specimens. On the obverse of the first is the head call him a son of Pan by a nymph, or of Gaea
of Salus, and on the obverse of the second the (Nonn. Dionys. xiv. 97, xxix. 262; Aelian, V. H.
head of a barbarian with a torquis round the coin. iii. 18; comp. Porphyr. Vit. I'ythag. 16; Clemens,
The torquis was inserted in order to mark the Cohort. ad Gent. p. 24.) Being the constant comconnection of the Silani with the Manlii Torquati. panion of Dionysus, he is, like the god, said to have
We have already seen that the son of the jurist been born at Nysa (Catull. 64, 253), and DiodoT. Manlius Torquatus was adopted by a D. Junius rus (iii. 72) even represents him as king of Nysa;
Silanus. [See above, No. 3.] In consequence of he moreover took part in the contest with the Githis connection between the Silani and Torquati, gantes, and slew Enceladus, putting the others to
we find the name of Torquatus assumed by several flight by the brayving of his ass. (Eurip. Cycl.)
of the Silani. [See above, Nos. 14, 15.] Who He is described as a jovial old man, with a bald
the D. Silanus is, referred to on these coins, cannot head, a puck nose, fat and round like his wine bag,
be determined; the two coins probably refer to which he always carried with him, and generally
two different persons of the name. as intoxicated. As therefore he cannot trust to
his own legs, he is generally riding on an ass
(Ov. Fast. i. 399, iii. 749), or he is supported by
other Satyrs and Satyrisci. (Virg. Eclog. vi. 13;
Lucian, Deor. Cone. 4.) In every other respect
he is described as resembling his brethren ill the
1\2 b - og\gx t / fondness for sleep, wine and music. He is mentioned along with Marsyas and Olympus as the
inventor of the flute which he is often seen playing (Strab. x. p. 470), and a special kind of dance
was called after him Silenus, while he himself is
designated as the dancer. (Anacr. 38. 11; Paus.
iii. 25. ~ 2; Lucian, Icaroma. 27.) But it is a
I, i peculiar feature in his character that he was conlceived also as ain inspired prophet, who knew all
the past and the most distant future (Aelian,
0 \W'2 B'@~om~i4C.i TzV. H. iii. 18; Virg. Eclog. vi, 31, &c.), and as a
sage who despised all the gifts of fortune (Cic.
Tuscul. i. 48); so that he becomes the representative of that wisdom which conceals itself behind
COINS OF D. JUNIUS SILANUS. a rough and uncouth external appearance, whence