(v. n.P. a.adv.) : sĭlĕo, ŭi (
* Perf. pass. silitum est, Aug. Civ. Dei, 16, 2), 2, v. n. and a. [cf. Goth. silan, ana-silan, to be silent; Germ. seltsam, selten], to be noiseless, still, or silent, to keep silence; act., not to speak of, to keep silent respecting a thing (class.; stronger than tacere).
* Lit.
* Absol.: silete et tacete atque animum advortite,Plaut. Poen. prol. 3; id. Capt. 3, 1, 20: optimum quemque silere,Liv. 39, 27 fin.: muta silet virgo,Ov. M. 10, 389: lingua, sile,id. P. 2, 2, 61: sedentibus ac silentibus cunctis,Suet. Claud. 21: obstrepentes forte ranas silere jussit,id. Aug. 94.
* Transf., to be still or quiet (opp. to being in action), to remain inactive, to rest, cease (in class. prose, for the most part only of things; cf. quiesco): et cycnea mele Phoebeaque Carmina consimili ratione oppressa silerent,Lucr. 2, 506: silent diutius Musae Varronis quam solebant,Cic. Ac. 1, 1, 2: silent leges inter arma,id. Mil. 4, 10: si quando ambitus sileat,id. Leg. 3, 17, 39: ne sileret sine fabulis hilaritas,Petr. 110, 6.—Of persons: fixaque silet Gradivus in hastā,Val. Fl. 4, 281: nec ceterae nationes silebant (with arma movere),Tac. H. 3, 47.—Hence, sĭlens, entis (abl. silente; but -ti,Liv. 23, 35, 18 al.; Ov. M. 4, 84; neutr. plur. silenta loca, Laev. ap. Gell. 19, 7, 7; gen. plur. (poet.) silentum, Verg. A. 6, 432; Ov. M. 5, 356 al.), P. a., still, calm, quiet, silent: nocte silenti,Ov. M. 4, 84; Verg. A. 4, 527: silenti nocte,Liv. 26, 5, 9; Petr. poët. 89, 2, 32: silente nocte,Tib. 1, 5, 16: silente caelo,Plin. 18, 28, 69, § 279: silenti agmine ducam vos,Liv. 25, 38; so, silenti agmine,id. 31, 38 fin.; 35, 4: per lucos silentes,Verg. G. 1, 476: vultu defixus uterque silenti,Val. Fl. 7, 407: umbrae silentes,i. e. the dead,Verg. A. 6, 264; called populus silens,Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 237; more freq. as subst.: sĭlentes, um, comm., the dead: umbrae silentum,Ov. M. 15, 797; so, rex silentum,id. ib. 5, 356: sedes,id. ib. 15, 772; Val. Fl. 1, 750; cf.: Aeacus jura silentibus illic Reddit,Ov. M. 13, 25.—The Pythagoreans were also called Silentes for the five years during which they were to listen to the instructions of Pythagoras: coetus silentum,Ov. M. 15, 66; hence, silentes anni, these five years of the Pythagoreans,Claud. Cons. Mall. Theod. 157: luna silenti, not shining, i. e. at the end of the month, Cato, R. R. 29; 40; 50; Col. 2, 10, 11; cf. Plin. 16, 39, 74, § 190: sarmentum,not yet shooting forth,Col. 4, 29, 1: vineae,id. 4, 27, 1: surculi,id. 11, 2, 26: flos,id. 12, 7, 1: ova,in which the chicks do not yet move,id. 8, 5, 15.—With ab: dies silens a ventis,Col. 4, 29, 5.—Hence, adv.: sĭlenter, silently, Juvenc. 3, 462; Vulg. 1, Reg. 24, 5.
* With acc.: quae hoc tempore sileret omnia,Cic. Clu. 6, 18: tu hoc silebis,id. Att. 2, 18, 3: neque te silebo, Liber,Hor. C. 1, 12, 21; cf. id. ib. 4, 9, 31: fortia facta,Ov. M. 12, 575: alium silere quod voles,Sen. Hippol. 876: nulla me tellus silet,id. Herc. Oet. 39; cf.: facti culpa silenda mihi,Ov. Tr. 2, 208.—Pass.: ea res siletur,Cic. Fl. 3, 6: quod ego praetermitto et facile patior sileri,id. Cat. 1, 6, 14: ne nunc quidem post tot saecula sileantur,Liv. 27, 10, 7: per quem tria verba silentur,Ov. F. 1, 47: mala causa silenda est,id. P. 3, 1, 147: quisquis ille, sileatur,Plin. Ep. 8, 22, 4; cf. Tac. Agr. 41.—Part. pass. as subst.: sĭlenda, ōrum, mysteries, secrets, Liv. 39, 10, 5; cf. Curt. 6, 25, 3.
* Of things (mostly poet.): intempesta silet nox,Verg. G. 1, 247: silet aequor,id. E. 9, 57: mare,Val. Fl. 7, 542: immotae frondes,Ov. M. 7, 187: umidus aër,id. ib.: aura,Col. 2, 21, 5: venti,id. 12, 25, 4: tranquillo silet immotāque attollitur undā Campus,Verg. A. 5, 127; cf.: silent late loca,id. ib. 9, 190: tempus erat quo cuncta silent,Ov. M. 10, 446; cf. also infra P. a.—Act.: si chartae sileant quod bene feceris,Hor. C. 4, 8, 21.