Silenus

Or Si·le·nos,

[sahy-lee-nuhs]

noun

Classical Mythology.

plural

Sileni 

1. 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.

2. (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 /

noun

1. chief of the satyrs and foster father to Dionysus: often depicted riding drunkenly on a donkey

2. (often not capital) one of a class of woodland deities, closely similar to the satyrs

Example Sentences

Also in the exhibit is a decoration from a temple rain-gutter depicting a bearded Silenus, a mythological creature associated with Dionysus, the wine god.

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In “The Troupe,” young George runs away to join the Silenus troupe of vaudeville performers to find the man he thinks is his father.

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Silenus was sometimes said to be Pan’s son; sometimes his brother, a son of Hermes.

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On the 11th day the king with gladness came to the field of Lydia and restored Silenus to his foster son, Bacchus.

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Ribera’s “Drunken Silenus,” on the other hand, is all about excess.

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