Silus

• a Roman surname, esp. of the gens Sergia.
• • • 1 M. Sergius Orata Silus, Cic. de Or. 2, 70, 285.—
    • 2 M. Sergius Silus, Liv. 32, 27, 7; Eckhel. D. N. 5, p. 306.—
    • 3 Domitius Silus, Tac. A. 15, 59 fin. al.—
    • 4 In the form Silo: Arruntius Silo, Dig. 48, 19, 27; cf. Plin. 11, 37, 59, § 158.

a Roman cognomen, properly signified a person whose nose turned up (Festus, s.v. Cic. de Nat. Deor. 1.29). The names Silo, Silius, and Silanus appear to be all connected with this name.

a Roman rhetorician, a native of Novaria, in the north of Italy, was aedile in his native town. He quitted Novaria in consequence of being dragged down from his tribunal on one occasion while administering justice, and repaired to Rome in the time of Augustus, where he obtained great renown by his oratory in the school of Plancus. He afterwards pleaded in the courts with considerable success, but having failed in one of his causes he left Rome and settled at Mediolanum, where he continued to exercise his profession as an advocate. He at length retired to his native town, and there put an end to his own life. (Suet. de Clar. Rhetor. 6; Senec. Controv. iii. proem.; Westermann, Geschichte der Römischen Beredtsamkeit, § 86.)

the former husband of Arria Galla, whom he quietly surrendered to Piso. (Tac. Ann. 15.59.)

1. M. Sergius Silus, the great-grandfather of Catiline, distinguished himself by his extraordinary bravery in the second Punic war. Although he had lost his right hand, and received twenty-three wounds in two campaigns, he continued in the army, and fought four times against the Carthaginians with his left hand alone. He was praetor urbanus in B. C. 197, in which year six praetors were elected for the first time (Plin. Nat. 7.28. s. 29; Liv. 32.27, 28, 31, 33.21). The annexed coin of the Sergia gens was probably struck in honour of this Sergius Silus by his son. The reverse represents a horseman in full gallop, holding in his left hand the head of a foe. (Eckhel, vol. v. p. 306.)

2. M. Sergius Silus, son of the preceding, and grandfather of Catiline, was legatus of Aemilius Paulus in the war with Perseus in B. C. 168. (Liv. 44.40.)

3. Sergius Silus, son of No. 2, and father of Catiline. He does not appear to have held any of the public offices, and we do not even know his praenomen. He left his son no property. (Q. Cic. de Pet. Cons. 2; Sall. Cat. 5.)

4. Cn. Sergius Silus, was condemned on the accusation of Metellus Celer, because he had promised money to a materfamilias for the enjoyment of her person. (V. Max. 6.2.8.)