Lewis & Short

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silva (less correctly sylva), ae (old gen. silvaï; silua as trisyl., Hor. C. 1, 23, 4; id. Epod. 13, 2; cf. Prisc. p. 546 P.), f. [cf. Gr. ὕλη],, a wood, forest, woodland (syn.: saltus, nemus, lucus).

  1. I. Lit.: (lupus) Conicit in silvam sese, Enn. ap. Non. 378, 19 (Ann. v. 75 Vahl.): omne sonabat Arbustum fremitu silvaï frondosaï, id. ap. Macr. S. 6, 2 (Ann. v. 197 ib.): (ignes) Conficerent silvas, Lucr. 1, 906: per silvas profundas, id. 5, 41; so id. 5, 992: densa et aspera, Cic. Att. 12, 15; id. Div. 1, 50, 114: (Ancus Marcius) silvas maritimas omnes publicavit, id. Rep. 2, 18, 33: rursus ex silvā in nostros impetum facerent, Caes. B. G. 2, 19: Caesar silvas caedere instituit, id. ib. 3, 29: juga coepta movere Silvarum, Verg. A. 6, 257: dea silvarum, i. e. Diana, Ov. M. 3, 163; cf.: silvarum numina, Fauni Et Satyri fratres, id. ib. 6, 392: nemorosis abdita silvis, id. ib. 10, 687: stabula silvis obscura vetustis, id. ib. 6, 521: gloria silvarum pinus, Stat. S. 5, 1, 151: formidolosae, Hor. Epod. 5, 55: salubres, id. Ep. 1, 4, 4: virentes, Cat. 34, 10: Silvius, casu quodam in silvis natus, Liv. 1, 3, 6.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. A plantation of trees, an orchard, a grove; a growth or crop of other plants, bush, foliage, etc. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose): signa in silvā disposita, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 19, § 51: domūs amoenitas silvā constabat, Nep. Att. 13, 2; Sen. Ep. 86, 3; cf.: inter silvas Academi quaerere verum, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 45: tristis lupini Sustuleris fragiles calamos silvamque sonantem, Verg. G. 1, 76; 1, 152; 2, 310; 4, 273; Ov. M. 1, 346; 3, 80; 12, 352; Grat. Cyneg. 47; Col. 7, 9, 7 al.: i. q. frondes, foliage, Ov. M. 7, 242: congeries silvae, of wood, id. ib. 9, 235.
      2. 2. In plur., trees (poet.): nemus omne intendat vertice silvas, Prop. 1, 14, 5: silvarum aliae pressos propaginis arcus Exspectant, Verg. G. 2, 26: fractis obtendunt limina silvis, Stat. Th. 2, 248; cf. Luc. 2, 409; 4, 525: bracchia silvarum, Stat. Th. 1, 362; id. S. 4, 3, 79; 3, 3, 98; Sen. Oedip. 542.
  2. II. Trop., a crowded mass, abundance or quantity (class.; in Cic. sometimes with quasi): omnis ubertas et quasi silva dicendi ducta ab illis (Academicis) est, Cic. Or. 3, 12; cf. id. ib. 41, 139: silvae satis ad rem, Plaut. Mil. 4, 4, 18: silva rerum, sententiarumque, Cic. de Or. 3, 26, 103: silva virtutum et vitiorum, id. ib. 3, 30, 118: silva observationum sermonis antiqui, Suet. Gram. 24 fin.
    Poet.: immanis, an immense forest (of darts), Verg. A. 10, 887; cf.: densam ferens in pectore silvam, a forest (of darts), Luc. 6, 205 Cort.: horrida siccae Silva comae, a bristling forest, Juv. 9, 13: Silva, as the title of a book; cf. Gell. Noct. Att. praef. § 6; Quint. 10, 3, 17.
    So the Silvae of Statius.