I.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).
I. Lit.
(α).
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.—
(β).
With de: “cum ceteri de nobis silent,” Cic. Sull. 29, 80: “de dracone silet,” id. Div. 2, 30, 65: “de re publicā ut sileremus,” id. Brut. 42, 157; cf. id. ib. 76, 266; cf. Fabri ad Sall. J. 19, 2.—Impers. pass.: “de jurgio siletur,” Ter. Phorm. 5, 2, 13; Cic. Div. in Caecil. 10, 32; Sall. C. 2, 8: usque ab Abraham de justorum aliquorum commemoratione silitum est, Aug. Civ. Dei, 16, 2.—
(γ).
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.—
(δ).
With rel.clause: “quā tulerit mercede, silet,” Ov. M. 7, 688.—* (ε) With obj.-clause: ut sileat verbum facere, Auct. B. Hisp. 3, 7.—
2. 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.—
II. 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.
