Folklore and Mythology

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silenus

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

silenus , in Greek mythology, part bestial and part human creature of the forests and mountains. Part of Dionysus' entourage, the sileni are usually represented as aged satyrs—drunken, jolly, bald, fat, bearded, and possessing horse ears. According to some myths they were prophets; but according to others they were so perpetually stupefied with drink that they were unable to distinguish truth from falsehood. In some legends only one such creature appears, Silenus, described as the oldest of the satyrs, the son of Hermes or Pan. He was the companion, adviser, or tutor of Dionysus.

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Silenus

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | | Copyright

Silenus in Greek mythology, an aged woodland deity, one of the sileni, who was entrusted with the education of Dionysus. He is depicted either as dignified and musical, or as an old drunkard. In general use, a silenus denotes a woodland spirit, usually depicted in art as old and having ears like those of a horse, similar to the satyrs.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Silenus." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Silenus." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Silenus.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Silenus." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Silenus.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Utopia: With Erasmus's "The Sileni of Alcibiades".(Review) Magazine article from: Utopian Studies; 3/22/1999
	Distribution and biology of prowfish (Zaprora silenus) in the northeast Pacific. Magazine article from: Fishery Bulletin; 1/1/2004
	Flamboyant folly sits in the heart of Cheltenham.(Features) Newspaper article from: The Mail on Sunday (London, England); 10/31/2010