Silvanus (mythology)
Roman tutelary deity of woods / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Silvanus (/sɪlˈveɪnəs/;[1] meaning "of the woods" in Latin) was a Roman tutelary deity of woods and uncultivated lands. As protector of the forest (sylvestris deus), he especially presided over plantations and delighted in trees growing wild.[2][3][4][5] He is also described as a god watching over the fields and husbandmen, protecting in particular the boundaries of fields.[6] The similarly named Etruscan deity Selvans may be a borrowing of Silvanus,[7] or not even related in origin.[8]
Silvanus | |
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Tutelary god of woods and uncultivated lands, protector of field boundaries and cattle, protector against wolves | |
![]() Bronze statue of Silvanus, said to be from Nocera in southern Italy. | |
Abode | The forest |
Symbols | Pan flute, cypress |
Gender | male |
Equivalents | |
Greek equivalent | Silenus |
Etruscan equivalent | Selvans? |
Silvanus is described as the divinity protecting the flocks of cattle, warding off wolves, and promoting their fertility.[2][9][10][11] Dolabella, a rural engineer of whom only a few pages are known, states that Silvanus was the first to set up stones to mark the limits of fields, and that every estate had three Silvani:[12]
- a Silvanus domesticus (in inscriptions called Silvanus Larum and Silvanus sanctus sacer Larum)
- a Silvanus agrestis (also called salutaris, literally "of the fields" or "saviour"), who was worshipped by shepherds, and
- a Silvanus orientalis, literally "of the east", that is, the god presiding over the point at which an estate begins.
Hence Silvani were often referred to in the plural.