Lewis & Short

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sĭlentĭum, ii, n. [sileo].

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen., a being still or silent, noiselessness, stillness, silence (freq. and class.; cf. taciturnitas): otium et silentium est, Ter. Hec. prol. alt. 35: et ipse conticuit et ceteris silentium fuit, Cic. de Or. 3, 35, 143; cf. id. ib. 1, 35, 160; id. Rep. 2, 38, 64: auditus est magno silentio, id. Q. Fr. 2, 1, 1: silentio auditus, Caes. B. C. 3, 19, 3: huic facietis Fabulae silentium, Plaut. Am. prol. 15: fac silentium, id. Pers. 4, 3, 50; cf. Cic. Div. 1, 28, 59: nec longa silentia feci, kept silence, Ov. F. 1, 183: silentio facto, silence being obtained, Quadrig. ap. Gell. 9, 13, 10; Liv. 24, 7 fin.; Petr. 14 fin.; Quint. 2, 5, 6 al.; also with the signif. to make or procure silence: Fabius cum silentium classico fecisset, Liv. 2, 45; Tac. H. 3, 20; Curt. 10, 6, 3; Phaedr. 5, 5, 15: facere silentia majestate manūs, Pers. 4, 7: tribuni plebis, cum inviti silentium tenuissent, Liv. 5, 9, 4; so, tenere silentium, id. 1, 16, 2; 1, 28, 8; 9, 38, 14: silentium obtinere, id. 1, 16, 2; cf.: obstinatum silentium obtinuit, id. 9, 38, 14: tenuere silentia cuncti, Ov. M. 1, 206: se silentium fieri jussisse, Cic. Div. 1, 28, 59; Luc. 1, 298: silentium imperare, Sen. Vit. Beat. 26, 7; Tac. G. 11: silentium significare, to give a signal for silence, Cic. Brut. 84, 290: cum silentio animadvertite, Ter. Eun. prol. 44: Athenienses cum silentio auditi sunt, Liv. 38, 10, 4: cum silentio ad aliquem convenire, id. 7, 35, 1; so, cum silentio, id. 25, 9, 15: agere per silentium, Ter. Heaut. prol. 36; cf. id. Hec. prol. alt. 21; id. Phorm. prol. 30: per silentium noctis, Liv. 3, 42, 3; Tac. A. 4, 53; id. Agr. 3: ego illas omnes res egi silentio, Cic. Prov. Cons. 12, 29; cf.: ut nulla fere pars orationis silentio praeteriretur, in silence, without applause, id. Brut. 22, 88; more freq.: praeterire silentio, to pass over in silence, to say nothing about, id. Sull. 21, 62; id. Part. Or. 23, 82; id. Phil. 13, 6 Orell. N. cr.; Plin. Ep. 5, 20, 6; for which: silentio transire, Cic. Att. 2, 19, 3; Quint. 2, 3, 1; 5, 12, 23: periculosissimum locum silentio sum praetervectus, Cic. Phil. 7, 3, 8: transmittere aliquem, Tac. A. 1, 13 fin. al.; cf.: cum M. Tullius de omnibus (oratoribus) aetatis suae silentium egerit, keeps silence, is silent, Quint. 10, 1, 38: tenere se intra silentium, Plin. Ep. 4, 17, 8; 7, 6, 6: de Partho silentium est, nothing is said, Cic. Att. 5, 16, 4: ut laudem eorum a silentio vindicarem, i. e. obscurity, id. de Or. 2, 2, 7; Sen. Ep. 21, 5; Plin. Ep. 9, 14, 1: gravissimas plagas ferre silentio, Cic. Tusc. 2, 20, 46: quam maximum silentium haberi jubet, Sall. J. 99, 1: lacrimae omnibus obortae, et diu maestum silentium tenuit, prevailed, Liv. 40, 8, 20.
      Poet.: fer opem furtoque silentia deme, remove silence from, i. e. tell of, disclose, Ov. M. 2, 700.
      Of the stillness, silence, dead of night: silentio noctis Caesar ex castris egressus, Caes. B. G. 7, 36: in silentio noctis, id. ib. 7, 26; cf.: se vocem noctis silentio audisse clariorem humanā, Liv. 5, 32: paulo ante mediam noctem silentio ex oppido egressi, Caes. B. G. 7, 11; cf. id. ib. 7, 18; 7, 60; Liv. 8, 23, 9, 38.
      Poet., in plur.: silentia noctis, Lucr. 4, 461; Stat. Th. 1, 441: quid me alta silentia cogis Rumpere, Verg. A. 10, 63; Ov. M. 7, 184: taciturna silentia, Lucr. 4, 585: torquent illum furibunda silentia, Stat. Th. 10, 890.
      The stillness, quietness of the fields: nactus silentia ruris, Ov. M. 1, 232; cf.: vidit desolatas agere alta silentia terras, id. ib. 1, 349.
      Of wood that makes no noise, does not snap, Plin. 16, 16, 28, § 70.
    2. B. In partic., in augural lang., freedom from disturbance; hence, faultlessness, perfectness in the taking of auspices: id silentium dicimus in auspiciis, quod omni vitio caret, etc., Cic. Div. 2, 34, 71; cf. Fest. p. 348 Müll.; s. v. sinistrum, p. 351 ib.; and v. Becker, Antiq. vol. 2, pars 3, p. 76 sq.
  2. II. Transf., a standstill (opp. to motion or activity); cessation, repose, inaction, tranquillity, etc. (rare but class.): mundus caeli vastus constitit silentio, Enn. ap. Macr. 6, 2 med.: silentium perpetuum judiciorum ac fori, Cic. Pis. 14, 32; cf. Tac. Agr. 39: vitam silentio transire, Sall. C. 1, 1: silentium otiumque inter armatos, Liv. 2, 45: biduum deinde silentium fuit neutris transgredientibus amnem, id. 37, 38: idem praeturae tenor et silentium, Tac. Agr. 6: quantum distant a morte silentia vitae? Sil. 3, 145.