Silenus

American  

[sahy-lee-nuhs] / saɪˈli nəs /

Or Silenos,

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.

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Silenus British  

/ 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

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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.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2023

Silenus, a companion of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, sprawls across the canvas with a brightly lit, barrel-like belly and a cup raised for a refill.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 1, 2019

“Metamorphoses” also inspired an intriguing pair of panels devoted to the hapless drunkard Silenus and another about Prometheus and the creation of man.

From Washington Post • Jan. 29, 2015

The gadroons on the underside look very Iranian but the grinning bearded Silenus mask that takes the place of the boss in comparable Iranian pieces is strictly Greek.

From New York Times • Oct. 21, 2011

We landed in the middle of the cabin area and were immediately met by Chiron, the potbellied satyr Silenus, and a couple of Apollo cabin archers.

From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan