Silius

Sīlĭus, i, m.,

• the name of a Roman gens.
• • • 1 P. Silius Nerva, a propraetor in Bithynia and Pontus, to whom are addressed the letters Cic. Fam. 13, 47, and 61 sqq.; cf. id. Att. 10, 13, 3.—
    • 2 T. Silius, a military tribune under Caesar, Caes. B. G. 3, 7 fin.—
    • 3 C. Silius Italicus, a celebrated Roman poet in the latter half of the first century of the Christian era, author of a poem still extant, called Punica, Plin. Ep. 3, 7; Mart. 4, 14, 1; v. Bähr, Röm. Lit. 9, § 63 sq.
• —Hence, Sīlĭānus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to a Silius, Silian: villa, negotium, Cic. Att. 12, 27; cf. id. ib. 12, 31.

Sīlius, a, um, Name einer röm. gens, aus der bes. bekannt sind: A. Silius, ein Freund Ciceros, von dem dieser einen Garten kaufen wollte, um dort der Tullia ein Denkmal zu errichten, Cic. ad Att. 10, 13, 3; 12, 18. litt. a. § 2 u.a. – P. Silius Nerva, Proprätor in Bithynien u. in Pontus (i. J. 51 v. Chr.), auch bekannt durch einen Erbschaftsprozeß (s. P. E. Huschke de causa Siliana, Rostochii 1824, 4. u. Huschkes Studien usw. Breslau 1830. Bd. 1. S. 1 ff.), Cic. ad Att. 6, 1, 13; ep. 7, 21 u.a. – C. Silius Italicus, ein epischer Dichter des 1. Jahrh. n. Chr., Verf. eines Gedichtes über den zweiten punischen Krieg in 17 Büchern, s. Plin. ep. 3, 7. Mart. 4, 14, 1; 11, 48 sq. Vgl. W. Teuffel Gesch. der röm. Liter.⁶ § 320. – Dav. Sīliānus, a, um, silianisch, des (A.) Silius, negotium, Cic.: villa, Cic.

1 Sīlĭus, a, um, de Silius : Silia lex Gaius , loi Silia.

2 Sīlĭus, (10) ĭī, m. , nom de famille rom. ; not^t P. Silius, propréteur de Bithynie : Cic. Fam. 13, 47 || autre du même nom : Cæs. G. 3, 7 || Silius Italicus, auteur dʼune épopée sur la seconde guerre punique : Plin. Min. Ep. 3, 7.

Si'lius

1. Q. Silius, one of the quaestors elected for the first time from the plebs in B. C. 409 (Liv. 4.54).

Si'lius

2. T. Silius, served under Caesar in Gaul, and was sent by him against the Veneti in B. C. 56 (Caes. Gal. 3.7).

Si'lius

3. A. Silius, a friend of Cicero, is frequently mentioned by him in his correspondence with Atticus in B. C. 45. (Cic. Att. 10.13, 12.18, 22, 24, 25, 13.50.)

Si'lius

4. P. Silius, governed Bithynia and Pontus as propraetor in B. C. 51, at the same time as Cicero governed Cilicia as proconsul, Bibulus Syria, and Thermus Asia. Silius was a friend of Atticus (Cic. Att. 6.1.13, 7.1.8). Several of Cicero's letters are addressed to this Silius. He consulted Cicero on a legal point in B. C. 44, the explanation of which has exercised the ingenuity of modern jurists. (Cic. Fam. 7.21, ad Att. 15.23, 24; P. E. Huschke, De Causa Siliana, Rostochii, 1824, and also in his Studien, Breslau, 1830, vol. i.) This Silius was probably the father of P. Silius Nerva, consul in B. C. 20. [Silius Nerva.]

Si'lius

5. C. Silius P. F. P. N., was consul A. D. 13, with L. Munatius Plancus (D. C. 56.28 ; Suet. Aug. 101; Frontin. de Aquaed. 102; Fasti Capitol.). He was appointed at the end of his year of office legatus of Upper Germany, where he was at the death of Augustus, in the month of August in the following year. He served under Germanicus in his campaigns in Germany, and on account of his success obtained the triumphal ornaments in A. D. 15. Germanicus sent him against the Chatti in the following year, but the result of that expedition is not mentioned by Tacitus. In A. D. 21 he defeated Julius Sacrovir, who, in conjunction with Julius Florus, had excited an insurrection in Gaul, and had collected a formidable army among the Aedui and the surrounding people [Sacrovir]. But his friendship with Germanicus caused his ruin. He had also excited the suspicions of the jealous emperor by the successes he had obtained, by the long continuance of his command, and by the boastful manner in which he had spoken of his services. He was accordingly accused of repettnndae and majestas in A. D. 24, and anticipated his condemnation by a voluntary death. His wife Sosia Galla was involved in the accusations brought against him, and was sentenced to banishment. [Galla, Sosia.] (Tac. Ann. 1.31, 2.6, 7, 25, 3.42_45, 4.18, 19; D. C. 60.31.)

Si'lius

6. C. Silius, son of No. 5, the most beautiful of the Roman youths, was passionately loved by Messalina, the wife of the emperor Claudius. She made no secret of her affection for him, and visited his house openly, with a large retinue. She compelled him to divorce his wife Junia Silana, and made him consul designatus in A. D. 48. At length her effrontery reached so mad a pitch, that she married him with all the forms and ceremonies of a legal marriage, during the absence of her stupid husband at Ostia. The latter would no doubt have remained ignorant of the whole affair, had not his freedman Narcissus resolved upon the destruction both of Silius and Messalina. By means of two favourite concubines of Claudius, Narcissus acquainted the emperor with the outrage that had been committed against him. Silius was put to death and many others with him. (Tac. Ann. 11.5, 12, 26_35; D. C. 60.31; Snet. Claud. 26; Juv. 10.331, &c.) [Messalina. p. 1054a.]

Si'lius Bassus

[Bassus.]

Si'lius Messalla

[Messalla, p. 1053.]

Si'lius Nerva

1. P. Silius Nerva, was consul under Augustus B. C. 20, with M. Appuleius, and afterwards subdued the Cammunii and Venii (al. Venones), Gallic tribes. (D. C. 54.7, 20.)

Si'lius Nerva

2. P. Silius Nerva, consul under Tiberius A. D. 28, with Ap. Junius Silanus. (Tac. Ann. 4.68; Plin. Nat. 8.40.)

Si'lius Nerva

3. Silius Nerva, consul under Nero in A. D. 65, with Vestinus Atticus (Tac. Ann. 15.48). He is described in the Fasti as A. Licinius Nerva Silianus ; whence it would appear that he was adopted by A. Licinius. He was probably the son of No. 2.

There are several coins bearing on the reverse P. NERVA, which are referred by modern numismatologists to the Silia gens, and not to the Licinia gens, as older writers had done. A specimen of these coins is annexed. The reverse represents the septa of the comitia : one citizen is placing his tabella in the ballot-box, while another is receiving his tabella from the officer. (Eckhel, vol. v. p. 313.)