god
Silenus
also: Silenus, Sileno
The wise old satyr, companion of Dionysus, who when captured by King Midas declared that the best thing for a man is never to be born, and the next best to die as soon as possible. The bearer of a famous Greek pessimistic maxim.
Reading notes
- Tusculan Disputations §1.114 told a certain little fable about Silenus, who, when he had been taken captive by Midas
The wise satyr Silenus, captured by King Midas of Phrygia, who declared that the best thing for a man is never to be born, and the next best to die as soon as possible. A famously pessimistic Greek maxim.