SILENUS.
     The tutor of the god Dionysus (Bacchus), Silenus is variously called the son of Pan (or his brother), Gaia, or Hermes. Sileni, of whom Silenus was one, were the constant companions of Dionysus in his drunken revels. Like satyrs—from whom they differed chiefly in being older, wiser, and more drunken—sileni were usually considered half man, half beast, with the ears, legs, and tail of a goat (or, sometimes, a horse). Silenus was often the main character in the Greek satyr plays.

    
    See also Bacchanalia; Dionysus, General List; Midas, General List.