In Greek mythology, Silenus was a companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus. He is typically older than the satyrs of the Dionysian retinue (thiasos), and sometimes considerably older, in which case he may be referred to as a Papposilenus. Silen and its plural sileni refer to the mythological figure as a type that is sometimes thought to be differentiated from a satyr by having the attributes of a horse rather than a goat, though usage of the two words is not consistent enough to permit a sharp distinction.
Front side of a Roman sarcophagus, depicting the wedding of Dionysos and Ariadne, with old Silenus figuring in their entourage (sixth figure from the right), 150–160 CE (Glyptothek, Munich)
Papposilenus in a Dionysian procession, bell-krater from Paestum, Magna Graecia, c. 355 BC (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Satyr holding a thyrsus, supporting a drunken ivy-wreathed silenus, from the Borghese Vase, 1st century BC (Louvre)
Cyclops is an ancient Greek satyr play by Euripides, based closely on an episode from the Odyssey. It would have been the fourth part of a tetralogy presented by Euripides in a dramatic festival in 5th Century BC Athens. The date of its composition is unknown, but it was probably written late in Euripides' career. It is the only complete satyr play extant.
Late Classical terracotta figure depicting Polyphemos reclining while drinking a bowl of wine.
Actor as Papposilenus, around 100 AD, after 4th-century BC original
Odysseus offering wine to Polyphemus