The Sileni were followers of Dionysus. They were drunks, bald and fat with thick lips and squat noses, and the ears and tail of a horse. Later, sileni lost the plural connotation and the only references were to one named Silenus (Roman equivalent: Silvanus), the teacher and faithful companion of the wine-god Dionysus. A notorious consumer of wine, he was usually drunk and had to be supported by satyrs or carried by a donkey. When the Phrygian king Midas took the drunk Silenus in his house, Dionysus handsomely rewarded Midas for his hospitality. Silenus was thought to have much wisdom and be able to reveal important secrets to mortals if captured and questioned.
Silenus was equated with the RomanSilvanus whose name simply means "of the woodland" and Etruscan Selvans.
Silenus, although an old and cheerful drunkard, is the adviser and instructor of Dionysus 2, and is said to have greatly contributed to the god's achievements and Fame.
Silenus' love of wine knew no limits, and that is why King Midas could easily capture him, for he mixed wine to the water of a spring, and the entranced Silenus would not leave the place.
Silenus also talked of the Meropes, owners of many cities, saying that on the edge of their land there is a place named Point of No Return, this being a chasm which is neither dark nor light but is covered by a red haze.
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