No More Learning

ad Apoll. Rhod. i. 1299; Eustath. August in the following year. He served under
ad Od. vii. 102, p. 1571. ) Silenus also compiled Germanicus in his campaigns in Germany, and on
a collection of fabulous histories. (Tzetzes in Ly account of his success obtained the triumphal or-
cophr. 786 ; Schol. Hom. Od. i. 75, where he is naments in A. D. 15. Germanicus sent him against
called a Chian, as he is also by Eustathius, ad Od. the Chatti in the following year, but the result of
xix. 407, p. 1871, and Eudocia, pp. 43, 312, 394 ; that expedition is not mentioned by Tacitus. In
Vossius, de Hist. Graecis, p. 498, ed. Wester-A. D. 21 he defeated Julius Sacrovir, who, in con-
mann. )
[C. P. M. ] junction with Julius Florus, had excited an insur-
SILE'NUS, an architect who wrote a work on rection in Gaul, and had collected a formidable
the Doric order, de Symmetriis Doricorum. He army among the Aedui and the surrounding people
was apparently of an early age and a little later [SACROVIR). But his friendship with Germanicus
than the scene painter Agatharchus, who was con caused his ruin. He had also excited the sus-
temporary with Aeschylus. (Vitruv. vii. praef. Spicions of the jealous emperor by the successes he
12. )
(P. S. ) had obtained, by the long continuance of his com-
Ó. SILICIUS, as he is called by Plutarch, or mand, and by the boastful manner in which he
SILICIUS CORONAS, as Dion Cassius names him, a kad spoken of his services. He was accordingly
Roman senator, and one of the judices appointed accused of repetundae and majestas in A. D. 24,
to try the conspirators against the life of Caesar in and anticipated his condemnation by a voluntary
B. c. 43, in accordance with the Lex Pedia. [Pe- death. His wife Sosia Galla was involved in the
DIUS, No. 1. ] Although Octavianus was present accusations brought against him, and was sentenced
with his artry, Silicius ventured to vote for the to banishment. [GALLA, Sosia. ] (Tac. Ann. i.
acquittal of M. Brutus, in consequence of which he 31, ii. 6, 7, 25, iii. 42–45, iv. 18, 19 ; Dion Cass.
was afterwards proscribed by the triumvirs, and lx. 31. )
put to death,
Appian erroneously calls him 6. C. Silius, son of No. 5, the most beautiful
Icilius (Dion Cass. xlvi. 49; Plut. Brut. 27 ; of the Roman youths, was passionately loved by
Appian, B. C. iv. 27).
Messalina, the wife of the emperor Claudius. She
SI’LIA GENS, plebeian, did not attain much made no secret of her affection for him, and visited
importance till quite the latter end of the republic, | his house openly, with a large retinue. She cor-
36 4


## p. 824 (#840) ############################################

824
SILIUS.
SILIUS.
pelled him to divorce his wife Junia Silana, and made to the men of genius whom his native province had
him consul designatus in A. D. 48. At length her produced. On the other hand, although there is
effrontery reached so mad a pitch, that she married no doubt that the allies in the Social War gave the
him with all the forms and ceremonies of a legal name of Italica to Corfinium, because they intended
marriage, during the absence of her stupid husband to make it the metropolis of their league, there is
at Ostia. The latter would no doubt have remained no reason to believe that it retained this title after
ignorant of the whole affair, had not his freedman the conclusion of the struggle. There is also a
Narcissus resolved upon the destruction both of Silius grammatical objection of some weight; for accord-
and Messalina. By means of two favourite concu- ing both to analogy and to the authority of inscrip-
bines of Claudius, Narcissus acquainted the emperor tions, the local adjective derived from Italica near
with the outrage that had been committed against | Hispalis would not be Italicus, but Italicensis. (See
him. Silius was put to death and many others with also Gell. xvi. 13. ) This however in itself would
him. (Tac. Ann. xi. 5, 12, 26-35; Dion Cass. not be conclusive. (Hispanus, Hispanensis. )
Ix. 31 ; Suet. Claud. 26 ; Juv, x. 331, &c. ) [MES- It has been erroneously inferred from a line in
SALINA, p. 1054, a. )
Martial (viii. 66),
SILIUS BASSUS. [Bassus. ]
" Felix purpura tertiusque consul,"
C. SILIUS ITALICUS, the most voluminous
among the Roman writers of heroic verse, was that Silius had been thrice consul, but the words
born about A. D. 25. From his early years he imply merely that there had been three consuls in
devoted himself to oratory and poetry, taking the family — Silius himself, his son, to celebrate
Cicero as his model in the former, and Virgil in whose accession to office the epigram was written,
the latter. He acquired great reputation as a and a third person, perhaps that C. Silius who was
pleader at the bar, and acted for some time as a consul A. D. 13 (Sueton. Octav. 101), and who
member of that body of judicial umpires who were may have been the father of the poet: but this is
known as the Centumvirs. His life, in so far as a mere conjecture. Our authorities for this bio-
we can trace it, presents a course of unbroken graphy are sundry epigrams in Martial (especially
prosperity. He was elevated to the consulship in vii. 62, vii. 66, xi. 51), and an epistle of the
A. D. 68, the year in which Nero perished; he was younger Pliny (iii. 7, or iii. 5, ed. Titze). See
admitted to familiar intercourse with Vitellius, and also Tacit. Hist. iii. 65.
subsequently discharged the duties of proconsul of The great work of Silius Italicus was an heroic
Asia with high renown. After enjoying for a poem in seventeen books, entitled Punica, which
lengthened period the dignities of political and has descended to us entire. It contains a narrative
literary fame without incurring the envy which is of the events of the second Punic War, from the
for the most part the lot of distinguished statesmen capture of Saguntum to the triumph of Scipio
and authors, he determined to retire from the busy | Africanus, together with various episodes relating
world, and to pass his old age among his numerous to the more remarkable achievements in the first
villas, which were abundantly furnished with contest with Carthage, and to the exploits of
books and works of art. His two favourite re-champions in still earlier ages, such as Scaevola,
sidences were a mansion near Puteoli, formerly the Carnillus, and the three hundred Fabii. Just as
Academy of Cicero, and the house in the vicinity Virgil did not think that he degraded the majesty
of Naples once occupied by Virgil; and so en- of the epic by making it a vehicle for flattering the
amoured did he become of seclusion, that upon the Julian line, so his imitator has interwoven with
accession of Trajan he refused to repair to Rome, his verses a panegyric upon the Flavian dynasty.
and pay homage to the new prince. In these The materials are derived almost entirely froin
happy retreats he passed bis time in tranquillity Livy and Polybius. With regard to the merits of
until he had completed his 75th year, when, in the piece, those few persons who have perused it
consequence of the pain caused by an incurable from beginning to end will scarcely think the cri-
tubercle (insanabilis davus) of some kind, he starved ticism too severe which pronounces it to be the
himself to death ; and it was remarked that as he least attractive poem within the range of classical
was the last consul nominated by Nero, so he sur- antiquity ; and this judgment is by no means in-
vived all those who had held that office in the compatible with the praises awarded by Cellarius.
same reign. The only stain upon his character We may freely admit that many passages may be
arises from the imputation that he pandered to the adduced which throw light upon the historical
cruelties of the tyrant, by acting as a voluntary events of that remarkable epoch, upon the origin,
accuser ; but if this charge was true, his guilt was fortunes, and geographical position of different na-
in a great measure expiated by the blamelessness tions in Italy, Sicily, Spain, and Africa, and upon
of his subsequent career. He had two sons, one various points connected with mythology and an-
of whom died when young; the other attained to cient usages. But these are not the commendations
the consulship before his father's death.
we bestow on a great poet ; the information which,
Much discussion has taken place with regard to after all, might be compressed within a very limited
the import of the word Italicus, which no one has compass is certainly not destitute of value, but it
as yet explained in a satisfactory inanner. Accord- is conveyed through the medium of the coldest,
ing to the opinion most generally adopted, it was heaviest, and most lifeless composition that ever
derived from the place of his birth which is ima- was misnamed an heroic poem. Notwithstanding
gined to have been either Italica near Hispalis in the eulogistic apostrophe of Martial (Sili, Custuli.
Baetica, or Corfinium, in the country of the Pe- dum decus sororum), dictated perhaps by personal
ligni. Neither of these suppositions will bear in- friendship, or more probably by the desire of
vestigation. It is extremely improbable that he fawning upon one who possessed so much power at
was a Spaniard, for Martial, who repeatedly cele- court, the merits of Silius seem to have been fairly
brates his praises, nowhere claims him as a coun- appreciated by his contemporaries, as we perceive
trynian, although he frequently aliudes with pride froin the words of Pliny “ Scribebat carmina majuri
a


## p. 825 (#841) ############################################

SILLAX.
820
SILVANUS.
a
cura quam industria ;” and soon after death he | Aourished about B. c. 500, since he was mentioned
appears to have fallen into complete oblivion, for by Simonides and Epicharmus. He adorned with
he is neither quoted nor named by any writer, not his paintings the Polemarchian portico (TTV Tode-
even by the grammarians, until the time of Apolli- pápxelov otoLv) at Phlius. (Polemo, ap. Ath. v. p.
naris. (Excusator, ad Felic. 260. )
210, b. ; Simon, Fr. ccxxii. Schneidewin. ) [P. S. ]
The work of Silius Italicus was first brought to SILO, ABRO'NIUS. [ABRONIUS. )
light after the revival of letters by Poggio the SILO, GAVIUS. (Gavius, No. 3. ]
Florentine, having been discovered by him while SILO, POMPEIUS, constantly mentioned by
attending the council of Constance.
M. Seneca among the illustrious rhetoricians of his
The Editio Princeps was printed at Rome by age. (Sen. Suas. 1, 2, &c. )
Sweynheym and Pannartz under the inspection of SILO, Q. POMPAE'D'IUS, the leader of the
Andrew, bishop of Aleria, fol. 1471, and again at Marsi in the Social War, and the soul of the whole
the same place, fol. 1471, 1474, 1480. The best undertaking, at first endeavoured to obtain for the
editions are those of Cellarius, 8vo. Lips. 1695, Socii the Roman franchise, by means of M. Livius
and Drakenborch, 4to. Traj. ad Rhen. 1717, espe- Drusus, the celebrated tribune of the plebs in
cially the latter. That by Ruperti, 2 vols. 8vo. B. c. 91. He came to Rome to concoct his plans
Goetting.
1795, contains a considerable quantity of with Drusus, and remained in his house several
useful matter, but displays little scholarship or days ; and it is related by Diodorus that he subse-
judgment.
quently marched upon Rome at the head of 10,000
There is a complete translation into English men, with weapons concealed beneath their clothes,
verse, bearing the title " The Second Punik War in order to extort the franchise by force, but that
between Hannibal and the Romanes: the whole he was persuaded by Domitius, perhaps the censor
xvii. books Englished from the Latine of Silius of the preceding year, to give up his enterprise
Italicus, with a continuation from the triumphe of (Plut. Cut. Min. 2 ; Diod. xxxvii. p. 612, ed.
Scipio to the death of Hannibal, by Tho. Ross. " | Wess. ). With the death of Drusus the allies
Fol. London, 1661; and reprinted fol. Lond. 1672. lost all hope of obtaining their demands peaceably,
The commencement was translated into French and forth with took up arms. The history of the
verse by Mich. de Marolles, and was appended to war which ensued is given in too confused and frag-
his “Considérations sur une Critique de l'Eneide,” mentary a manner to enable us to follow the ope-
4to. Paris (no date), and to his translation of the rations of Pompaedius Silo step by step ; but all
Achilleis of Statius, 4to. Paris, 1678. Select pas accounts agree in representing him as the most dis-
sages have been rendered into German by K. P. tinguished of the Italian generals. His most bril-
Kretschmann, to be found in the collection called | liant exploit seems to have been the defeat of Q.
“ Meissner's Apollo,” 1797, Heft. 5. There is Caepio, whom he decoyed into an ambush ; but he
also a version into Italian by Buzio, which is con- was unable, either by his stratagems or his sarcasms,
tained in the Raccolta di tutti gli antichi poeti Latini, to force Marius to an engagement (Plut. Mar. 33).
4to. Milan 1765, vol. 34-35. (W. R. ] After most of the allies had laid down their arms
SI'LIUS MESSALLA. (MESSALLA, p. 1053. ] and submitted to the Romans, Pompaedius still
SIPLIUS NERVA. I. P. Silius Nerva, was continued the struggle. He regained Bovianum,
consul under Augustus B. c. 20, with M. Appuleius, which had been taken by Sulla, and entered this
and afterwards subdued the Cammunii and Venii capital of Samnium in triumph (Obsequ. 116).
(al. Venones), Gallic tribes. (Dion Cass. liv. 7, But this was his last success. He was first de-
20. )
feated by Mam. Aemilius, and subsequently by Q.
2. P. Silius NERVA, consul under Tiberius Metellus Pius. In the latter battle he perished,
A. D. 28, with Ap. Junius Silanus. (Tac. Ann. iv. and with his death the war came to an end, B. C.
68 ; Plin. H. N. viii. 40. )
88 (Appian, B. C. i. 40, 44, 53; Diod. xxxvii. p.
3. Silius NERVA, consul under Nero in A. D. 539, ed. Wess. ; Liv. Epit. 76 ; Flor. iii. 18;
65, with Vestinus Atticus (Tac. Ann. xv. 48). He Oros. v. 18 ; Vell. Pat, ii. 16). Several writers
is described in the Fasti as A. Licinius Nerva Si- have Popedius, and others give Sylo or Sillo as the
lianus ; whence it would appear that he was cognomen, but Pompaedius Silo is the correct
adopted by A. Licinius. He was probably the son orthography.
of No. 2.
SILO, POMPAEDIUS, fought under Venti-
There are several coins bearing on the reverse dius, the legatus of Antony, in his campaign against
P. NERVA, which are referred by modern numis- the Parthians in B. C. 39 (Dion Cass. xlviii. 41).
matologists to the Silia gens, and not to the Licinia The proceedings of Silo in Judaea are related at
gens, as older writers had done. A specimen of length by Josephus (Antiq. xiv. 15, B. J. i.
these coins is annexed. The reverse represents the 15).
septa of the comitia : one citizen is placing his ta- SILVA'NUS, a Latin divinity of the fields
bella in the ballot-box, while another is receiving and forests, to whom in the very earliest times the
his tabella from the officer. (Eckhel, vol. v. p. 313. ) Tyrrhenian Pelasgians are said to have dedicated
a grove and a festival (Virg. Aen. viii. 600). He
is described as a god watching over the fields and
RRVA
husbandmen, and is also called the protector of the
boundaries of fields (Horat. Epod. ii. 22). Hy.
ginus (De Limit. Const. Praef. ) tells us that Sil-
vanus was the first to set up stones to mark the
limits of fields, and that every estate had three
Silvani, a Silvanus domesticus (in inscriptious
COIN OF P. SILIUS NERVA,
called Silvanus Larum and Silvanus sanctus sacer
Larum), Silvanus agrestis (also called salutaris),
SILLAX (ziarat), a painter, of Rhegium, / who was worshipped by shepherds, and Silvanus



## p. 826 (#842) ############################################

826
SILVANUS.
SILVANUS.
metamor-
(Cic. pro
orientalis ; that is, the god presiding over the point (The details with regard to the unfortunato
at which an estate begins. Hence Silvani are often usurpation of Silvanus are given with animated
spoken of in the plural. In connection with woods minuteness by Ammianus Marcellinus, xv. 5, 6,
(sylvestris deus), he especially presided over plan- who accompanied Ursicinus upon his hazardous
tations, and delighted in trees growing wild mission. See also Julian. Orat. i. ii. ; Mamertin.
(Tibull
. ii. 5. 30 ; Lucan, Phars. ii. 402; Plin. Panegyr. ii. ; Aurel. Vict. de Caes. 42, Epit. 42;
H. N. xii. 2; Ov. Met. i. 193); whence he is Eutrop. x. 7; Zonar. xiii. 9. ) (W. R. )
represented as carrying the trunk of a cypress SILVA'NUS, M. CEIOʻNIUS, consul under
(devopoqópos, Virg. Georg. i. 20). Respecting the Antoninus A. D. 156, with C. Serius Augurinus
cypress, however, the following story is told. (Fuoti).
Silvanus, or according to others, Apollo (Serv. SILVA'NUS, GRA'NIUS, tribune of a prae-
ad Aen. iii. 680 ; Ov. Met. x. 106, &c. ), was in torian cohort under Nero, was commissioned by
love with the youth Cyparissus, and once by the emperor, on the detection of the conspiracy of
accident killed a hind belonging to Cyparissus. Piso, A. D. 65, to demand from the philosopher Se-
The latter died of grief, and was
neca an explanation of certain suspicious words
phosed into a cypress (Serv. ad Virg. Georg. which he was charged with having spoken to An-
i. 20, Eclog. x. 26, Acn. iii.