Brill’s New Pauly
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Subject: Classical Studies
Edited by: Hubert Cancik and Helmuth Schneider (Antiquity) and Manfred Landfester (Classical Tradition).
English translation edited by Christine F. Salazar (Antiquity) and Francis G. Gentry (Classical Tradition)
Brill´s New Pauly is the English edition of the authoritative Der Neue Pauly, published by Verlag J.B. Metzler since 1996. The encyclopaedic coverage and high academic standard of the work, the interdisciplinary and contemporary approach and clear and accessible presentation have made the New Pauly the unrivalled modern reference work for the ancient world. The section on Antiquity of Brill´s New Pauly are devoted to Greco-Roman antiquity and cover more than two thousand years of history, ranging from the second millennium BC to early medieval Europe. Special emphasis is given to the interaction between Greco-Roman culture on the one hand, and Semitic, Celtic, Germanic, and Slavonic culture, and ancient Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on the other hand. The section on the Classical Tradition is uniquely concerned with the long and influential aftermath of antiquity and the process of continuous reinterpretation and revaluation of the ancient heritage, including the history of classical scholarship. Brill´s New Pauly presents the current state of traditional and new areas of research and brings together specialist knowledge from leading scholars from all over the world. Many entries are elucidated with maps and illustrations and the English edition will include updated bibliographic references.
Subscriptions: see brill.com
English translation edited by Christine F. Salazar (Antiquity) and Francis G. Gentry (Classical Tradition)
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Brill´s New Pauly is the English edition of the authoritative Der Neue Pauly, published by Verlag J.B. Metzler since 1996. The encyclopaedic coverage and high academic standard of the work, the interdisciplinary and contemporary approach and clear and accessible presentation have made the New Pauly the unrivalled modern reference work for the ancient world. The section on Antiquity of Brill´s New Pauly are devoted to Greco-Roman antiquity and cover more than two thousand years of history, ranging from the second millennium BC to early medieval Europe. Special emphasis is given to the interaction between Greco-Roman culture on the one hand, and Semitic, Celtic, Germanic, and Slavonic culture, and ancient Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on the other hand. The section on the Classical Tradition is uniquely concerned with the long and influential aftermath of antiquity and the process of continuous reinterpretation and revaluation of the ancient heritage, including the history of classical scholarship. Brill´s New Pauly presents the current state of traditional and new areas of research and brings together specialist knowledge from leading scholars from all over the world. Many entries are elucidated with maps and illustrations and the English edition will include updated bibliographic references.
Subscriptions: see brill.com
Silarus
(85 words)
[German version] (
Siler). River in the border region between Campania and Lucania (
Siler: Luc. 2,426;
Silerus: Mela 2,69;
Sílaris: Str. 5,4,13; 6,1,4), modern Sele. At its mouth, there are remains of an archaic sanctuary to Hera Argiva (eight-columned pseudodipteros with 17 columns on the side wall; cf. Str. 6,1,1; Plin. HN 3,70; Solin. 2,12; Plut. Pompeius 34,3). There was a species of horse-fly by the S. that was harmful to herds of cattle (Verg. G. 3,146). Bove, Annalisa (Pisa) Bibliography F. Cordano, Antiche fondazioni Greche, 1986, 119 f.
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Brill’s New Pauly
Silence
(751 words)
[German version] (Greek σιγή/
sigḗ, σιωπή/
siōpḗ and associated verbs; Latin
silentium,
taciturnitas,
quies and associated verbs). Even though Graeco-Roman Antiquity bears the stamp of a culture of speech (Rhetoric), many testimonies from ancient literature, religion, philosophy, medicine and general understanding betray a high awareness of the importance of silence, which had its own forms of expression and performance [2; 4; 12]. Programmatic statements on silence are found throughout Antiquity, e.g. in Pi…
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Brill’s New Pauly
Silen(s)
(780 words)
(Σιληνός/
Silēnós, Σειληνός/
Seilēnós; Doric Σιλανός/
Silanós; Lat.
Silenus, Silanus). Heinze, Theodor (Geneva) [German version] I. Mythology Creature from Dionysus' entourage Among the collectively acting silens or satyrs, one silen/Silen(us) stands out as a single figure whose origin remains unclear (perhaps comparable: Chiron among the centaurs; Pan in contrast to the various Pans). This figure was fleshed out in mythical stories and satyr plays. The 'Midas-silen' expresses a pessimistic thought to the Phrygian king Midas, a thought typical for the Archai…
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Brill’s New Pauly
Silentiarii
(109 words)
[German version] (σιλεντιάριοι;
silentiárioi). Guards at the Imperial Roman courts instituted by Constantine (Constantinus [1] I) that were named after the ceremonial silence surrounding the emperor. They were subordinate to the imperial chamberlain (
praepositus sacri cubiculi). From AD 437, 30 silentiarii are documented under three
decuriones at the court of Constantinople. Their rank within the court hierarchy continued to rise until the 6th cent. after which their importance decreased. The last of the silentiarii are mentioned in sources from as late as the 12th cent. Tinnef…
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Brill’s New Pauly
Silenus
(365 words)
(Σιληνός;
Silēnós). [German version] [1] S. from Caleacte Greek historian, 2nd cent. BC Greek historian, like Sosylus in the retinue of Hannibal [4], 'as long as fate allowed it' (FGrH 175 T 2 in Nep. Hann. 13,3). Author of an 'official' history of Hannibal (F 1-2) and of
Sikeliká in 4 books (F 3-9). S. was used by Coelius [I 1] Antipater (F 2); perhaps Polybius's criticism (3,47,6-48,12) of 'a number of' Hannibal historians concerning Hannibal's crossing the Alps is aimed at S., in whose work dreams, omens etc. play an important role (F 2). …
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Brill’s New Pauly
Sileraioi
(83 words)
[German version] (Σιλεραῖοι/
Sileraîoi). Ethnic name probably of Italic mercenaries from the region of the Sila Mountains (Sila [1], Bruttium), who up to the death of Dionysius [1] I in 367 BC minted Syracusan bronze coins in the 'drachma' series with the legend SILERAION and an attacking warrior. Falco, Giulia (Athens) Bibliography S. Garraffino, La monetazione dell'età dionigiana. Contromarche e riconiazioni, in: Atti dell'VIII Convegno del Centro Internazionale di Studi Numismatici Napoli 1983, 1993, 191-244, especially 224 G. Tagliamone, I figli di Marte, 1994, passim.
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Brill’s New Pauly
Silicernium
(186 words)
[German version] Term for the Roman funeral banquet (<
cena fu>nebris, Fest. p. 376 L.;
convivium funebre, Non. P. 48,5 M.) which, like the Greek
perídeipnon (identified in CGL II 183,58), was celebrated by the next of kin immediately after the interment of the deceased at the grave, according to "ancient custom" (Varro, Sat. Men. 303, cited in Non. P. 48,6-9 M.). The idea behind it (shared by many peoples: [1. 23 f.]) was probably that the deceased took part in the meal (Donat. in Ter. Ad. 587:
cena quae infertur dis manibus; implicitly in Tert. Apol. 13,7). The etymology of the w…
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Brill’s New Pauly
Silingi
(85 words)
[German version] Vandal tribe originally from the area of modern Silesia (Ptol. 2,11,18: Σιλίγγαι/
Silíngai). In AD 406 they crossed the Rhenus (Rhine) - as did other Vandali - along with the Alani and Suebi and moved into Gallia and further into Hispania. For the year 411, the tribe is documented in Hispania Baetica (Hydatius, Continuatio 49, in: Chron. min. 2,18). In 416-418 they were attacked and destroyed by the Visigoths on Roman orders. Waldherr, Gerhard H. (Regensburg) Bibliography TIR M 33 Praha, 1986, 78.
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Brill’s New Pauly
Siliqua
(233 words)
[German version] (Greek κεράτιον/
kerátion ). Seed of the carob tree, weight and coin. As a weight the smallest Roman unit, 1/1728
libra of 327,45 g = 0,189 g, recorded from the beginning of the 4th cent. AD [3]. As an arithmetical value 1/24 of a
solidus (Isid. Orig. 16,25,9), but as a coin minted until about 360 AD not in gold, but only in silver, with a nominal weight of 3,41 g = 1/96
libra, corresponding to Diocletian's
argenteus and Nero's
denarius [2], after that with a nominal weight of 2,27 g = 1/144
libra [4. XXVIII]. Until Honorius [3] (393-423)
siliquae were minted in bulk, but n…
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Brill’s New Pauly
Silius
(1,908 words)
Name of a Roman plebeian family, documented since the first cent. BC (the name in Liv. 4,54,3 is probably a later invention). Under Augustus the family attained the consulate, but it disappeared at the end of the first cent. AD. Elvers, Karl-Ludwig (Bochum) I. Republican period [German version] [I 1] S., P. Praetor
c. 58 or 52 BC, as propraetor of
Bithynia et Pontus 51-50 BC addressee of laudatory letters from Cicero (Cic. Fam. 13,47; 61-65; cf. 7,21). S., who was regarded as an authority on Asia Minor, brought an inheritance lawsuit in 44 BC (Cic. Att. 7,1,8). His son is probably S. [II 7]. Fündli…
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Brill’s New Pauly
Silk
(867 words)
[German version] Silk is the finest and most valuable natural fibre in Antiquity; like wool, silk is an animal product and is obtained from ready-made threads. The basis is a fine thread spun by moths of the
Bombycidae family. The silkworm moth,
Bombyx mori, indigenous to China, is considered to be its most important member. The larvae, which are about 2-3 mm long, are fed exclusively on fresh leaves of the mulberry tree. After moulting several times the larvae begin to produce a secretion from a pair of glands through openings on their …
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Brill’s New Pauly
Silk Road
(608 words)
[German version] Collective term for the caravan routes from China to western Asia. Used for general trade and interchange, the Silk Road acquired particular significance by bringing silk fabrics into the Mediterranean, where it was highly prized, particularly in Rome (silk had been known there since the 1st cent. BC; for evidence see Seres). It is not known when the use of these trade routes began - it presumably goes back to the 4th millennium BC; it is documented until the 16th cent. AD. Today'…
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Brill’s New Pauly
Sillyum
(272 words)
[German version] (Σίλλυον;
Síllyon). City in Pamphylia between the Cestrus (modern River Aksu) and the Eurymedon [5] on a 230 metre-high plateau, 10 km from the coast at modern Asarköyü. Whether the earliest traces of settlement can in fact be dated to the early Bronze Age as in Perge [3. 265] requires further study; residential building from the 5th century BC onwards, however, has been verified [3. 263], whereas the first literary mentions of S. begin only in the 4th century BC (Ps.-Scyl. 101; Arr. Anab. 1,26,5). A pre-Greek settlement is suggested by the place name
Selyviys on coins…
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Brill’s New Pauly
Silo
(38 words)
[German version] Roman cognomen, in the Republican period of the leader of the Marsi Q. Poppaedius S., in the Imperial period in the Larcii and Pompeii families. Elvers, Karl-Ludwig (Bochum) Bibliography Degrassi, FCIR, 268 Kajanto, Cognomina, 118; 237.
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Brill’s New Pauly
Silphion
(248 words)
[German version] (Greek σίλφιον/
sílphion, word of non-Greek origin, from σίλφι/
sílphi or σίρφι/
sírphi; Latin
sirpe,
laserpicium from
lac sirpicium). An as yet unidentified plant, imported from the 6th cent. BC from Cyrenaeca in northern Africa, and the resinous milky juice obtained from its stem and root (Latin
laser, main citation in Plin. HN 19,38-46 and 22,100 f. according to Theophr. Hist. pl. 3,1,6; 6,3,1; 6,3,3; 6,4). It seems to have been related to asafoetida (
Ferula asa-foetida L.). The plant is supposed to have had a strong but pleasant smell. Theophr. (Hi…
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Brill’s New Pauly
Silures
(131 words)
[German version] Celtic tribe in Southeast Wales from the coast to the Wye, especially in the coastal plain of present-day Glamorgan. The S. resisted the Romans from AD 44, at first under Caratacus (Tac. Ann. 12,32 f.; 12,38-40; 14,29), but were finally subdued in AD 74-76 by Frontinus (Tac. Agr. 17). In the 2nd cent., possibly under Hadrian, the S. were organised as
civitas Silurum with the capital of Venta Silurum (present-day Caerwent). Modest
villae were built in the coastal plain. In the end, the S. came to be the most Romanised tribe in Wales. Todd, Malcolm (Exeter) Bibliography V. E. …
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Brill’s New Pauly