If you're looking for a baby boy name inspired by woodlands and the uncultivated beauty of nature, Silas is a perfect choice. [10] This was in the context of the effect of the French Revolution on politics in Britain. Noun (she'la) means request or petition, and noun (mish'ala) means petition or desire. It has been suggested that Silas is the Greek version of the Aramaic "Seila," a version of the Hebrew "Saul". Silas is the No. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Similarly to the Simeon-overture, but much more elaborate: the Paul & Barnabas cycle starts when Barnabas (a.k.a. [21], The sacrifices offered to Silvanus consisted of grapes, ears of grain, milk, meat, wine and pigs. From her lair in a cave she devoured whatever ventured within reach, including six of Odysseuss companions. Somewhat similar to the story of Saul of Tarsus and Sergius Paulus of Roman Cyprus, the historian Josephus (Joseph son of Matiyahu, or Matthias), assumed the name of his Roman host, the emperor Vespasian, whose son Titus had sacked Jerusalem in 70 AD. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. No, even Amphitryon's bronze-hearted son, who defeated the savage Nemean lion, loved a boycharming Hylas, whose hair hung down in curls. Be our patron for as little as one dollar a month: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Silas.html, Alternative etymologies of the name Silas, See the full Dictionary article and Biblical Concordance , The Passion of the Christ and the Theory of Everything, Stars and fractals: the many hearts of wisdom, How the Bible relates to Homer like Ape to Dog, How circumcision created the modern world, The many Hebrew roots of the Greek language. 14. He also appears in the conclusion of 1 Peter at 5:12, and is perhaps the amanuensis. In circumstances where there is no escape without some cost, the correct course is to "choose the lesser of two evils". Being between Scylla and Charybdis is an idiom deriving from Greek mythology, which has been associated with the proverbial advice "to choose the lesser of two evils". Their first stop is Cyprus (where Barnabas was from), where they meet the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus, and that's the first time the name Paul(us) occurs in the Bible. Is Silas a Male, Female or Unisex Name? (Explained) Meaning & History. In The Police's 1983 single "Wrapped Around Your Finger", the second line uses it as a metaphor for being in a dangerous relationship; this is reinforced by a later mention of the similar idiom of "the devil and the deep blue sea". They were regarded as maritime hazards located close enough to each other that they posed an inescapable threat to passing sailors; avoiding Charybdis meant passing too close to Scylla and vice versa. Saint Silas is also venerated by the Eastern Orthodox Church on July 30 along with the Apostles Silvanus, Crescens, Epenetus, and Andronicus and on January 4 where he is venerated with all the apostles. It is cognate with the Latin words silvester ('wild, not cultivated'), silvicola ('inhabiting woodlands') or silvaticus ('of woodlands or scrub'). Many of the ancient gods, like Zeus, had children as a result of their romantic involvement with mortals. Sa'aali adj: su'luwwa) is a supernatural creature assigned to the jinn or ghouls in Arabian[1] folklore. [citation needed], Accordingly, Si'lat are said to live in the desolate parts of the desert where they lead travellers and nomads astray, leading them to their deaths. [4] According to Iraqi historian, Mahmud Shukri al-Alusi, Arabs refer to si'lats as women who are said to be slim, witty, powerful and accused of being unloyal seductresses. Meaning, origin and history of the name Silas - Behind the Name For other uses, see, Last edited on 25 February 2023, at 06:31, texts from within a religion or faith system, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Holy Women, Holy Men Celebrating the Saints", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Silas&oldid=1141471823, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 06:31. Paul and the Slave Girl in Philippi - Biblical Archaeology Society Scylla was rationalized as a rock shoal (described as a six-headed sea monster) on the Calabrian side of the strait and Charybdis was a whirlpool off the coast of Sicily. In modern Greek, this noun means matter (atoms, molecules). to ignore irrelevant details and focus on the underlying basics). Stanisaw Lem adopted these characters in his 1957 non-fiction, philosophical book, Dialogi (Dialogues). His wife is recorded as either Anaxibia, daughter of Bias, or Phylomache, daughter of Amphion. The Greek transliteration of this Hebrew name is (Saoul), but the Hellenized version of its Aramaic counterpart is (Silas). Narcissus - World History Encyclopedia For other uses, see, Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hylas&oldid=1149697501, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 April 2023, at 21:41. Illustration by Gosia Herba. The Greeks had mixed feelings about Ares, approving of his bravery and courage but wary of his brutality. However, we do know that he lost his life in Macedonia sometime before 100 A.D. That means that the trio Luke, Silas and Paul relate like Fire, Log and Spark (James 3:5), of even more spectacular: like photonic forcefield, atomic nucleus and electron(s). Silas was selected by Paul to accompany him on his second mission after Paul and Barnabas split over an argument involving Mark's participation. In Greek mythology, Hylas was the son of King Theiodamas[1][2] of the Dryopians and the nymph Menodice, daughter of Orion. [citation needed]. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. It's important to select a name that you feel suits . In Edmund Spenser's epic poem The Faerie Queene (159096), Silvanus appears in Canto VI of Book I. Mythology Names - Behind the Name Biblical Views: Paul, the Python Girl, and Human Trafficking/strong>. At first glance, Pat Barker's 2018 novel, "The Silence of the Girls . Pelias ( / pilis / PEE-lee-ass; Ancient Greek: ) was king of Iolcus in Greek mythology. [2][3][4][5] He is also described as a god watching over the fields and husbandmen, protecting in particular the boundaries of fields. [4] Acts 16:25-37. This verb (or an identical other) is also used to describe the heaping up of gold bits in order to weigh them against a standard weight. Scyllaa six-headed, twelve-legged creature with necks that extend to horrible lengths and wolf-like heads that snatch and eat unsuspecting sailorsresides in a clifftop cave. 100 Cool Greek Boy Names (With Meanings) - Mom Loves Best Doppleganger mythology exists in our world too. This gift was given to him by Dionysos in thanks for his hospitality to the wise satyr Silenus. [13], Like other gods of woods and flocks, Silvanus is described as fond of music; the syrinx was sacred to him,[2] and he is mentioned along with the Pans and Nymphs. [3][14] Later speculators even identified Silvanus with Pan, Faunus, Inuus and Aegipan. The name Silas belongs to a prophet (Acts 15:32) and "leading man among the brethren" (15:22), who is introduced right after the Paul and Barnabas cycle, which starts with the rise of Antioch as placental counterpart of Jerusalem, and terminates in the debate on whether the gentiles should adhere to circumcision (and see our article on , peritome, circumcision, for our own two bits on this issue). For a while Paul & Barnabas and Silas & Barsabbas stick together (perhaps in some vague way somewhat resembling the four rivers of Eden; compare Genesis 2:10 with Exodus 27:2 and 20:24) but then break up. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. In antiquity slaves were identified by their servile name and their inability to record their family name or tribe. According to Greek mythology, the god Apollo killed the massive snake Python at Delphi, Greece. Greek mythology, body of stories concerning the gods, heroes, and rituals of the ancient Greeks. [citation needed], In pre-Islamic Arab countries, there was said to be one man who fell in love with a si'lat and had children who are known as "Banu Si'lat"[4] It was rumored that the Arab population was conceived from descendants of 'Amr ibn Yarbu's' children who were half-si'lat. Silas (name) - Wikipedia His feast day is on July 30th of each year. Erasmus recorded it in his Adagia (1515) under the Latin form of evitata Charybdi in Scyllam incidi (having escaped Charybdis I fell into Scylla) and also provided a Greek equivalent. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [2] They are described as talented shapeshifters often appearing in human form and female. Silvanus (/ s l v e n s /; meaning "of the woods" in Latin) was a Roman tutelary deity of woods and uncultivated lands. By Christine Coppa Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Social Security Administration. Chloe is also mentioned in the New Testament as the name of a Greek Christian woman. List of Demigods in Greek Mythology Greek Gods & Goddesses Delamarre, Xavier. "Islam, Arabs and the Intelligent World of the Jinn", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sila_(mythology)&oldid=1083044309, This page was last edited on 16 April 2022, at 17:29. This is the name of a companion of Saint Paul in the New Testament. Demigods were the offspring of a deity and mortal, half-gods, who were invariably renowned for their courage, leadership and great strength. It is unclear as to exactly when Saint Silas was born and where that was. The name Nazareth, where Jesus hailed from, could likewise be construed to be a Niphal participle of the verb (zara), meaning to scatter or winnow, or (zara'), meaning to scatter or sow, and mean "Scatterings" or Diaspora. Silvanus (mythology) - Wikipedia As protector of the forest (sylvestris deus), he especially presided over plantations and delighted in trees growing wild.He is also described as a god watching over the fields and husbandmen, protecting in particular the boundaries of fields. Zeus, in ancient Greek religion, chief deity of the pantheon, a sky and weather god who was identical with the Roman god Jupiter. Therefore, it is considered to be a great honor to be named after on of these saints. [6][25][26][27] Virgil represents him as carrying the trunk of a cypress (Greek: ),[14] about which the following myth is told. 23 baby boy names that'll trend in 2023 - cradlewise.com The name Silas may be short for Silvanus, but it may also be a Hellenized version of the name Saul, which means Asked For, and which reminds of the harrowing words: "The Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. 117+ Ancient Mythology Names (With Meanings) - Thought Catalog Also note that highways were made by casting rocks in a gully, and that Silas is introduced right after Paul is stoned by opposing Jews from Antioch and Iconium (Acts 14:19). [4] This final example was a line from the Alexandreis, a 12th-century Latin epic poem by Walter of Chtillon. Published by Colchester Archaeological Trust (. Notably, the name Rhea Silvia belonged to the birth mother of Romulus and Remus (by rapist father Mars), who were set adrift on the Tiber and subsequently saved by an accommodating she-wolf and raised by a shepherd couple. Anne Catherine Emmerich recounts in her visions that Silas' original name was Sela, and that he was one of the three "secret disciples," along with Hermas, who had later accompanied Jesus on his trip to the Three Kings' homeland near Ur, and thence to Heliopolis, and whose parents had come with the caravan of the Three Kings.[7]. Combine a one-year tablet and print subscription to BAR with membership in the BAS Library to start your journey into the ancient past today! In this context Erasmus quoted another line that had become proverbial, incidit in Scyllam cupins vtre Charybdem (into Scylla he fell, wishing to avoid Charybdis). [16], In the provinces outside of Italy, Silvanus was identified with numerous native gods:[17], The Slavic god Porewit has similarities with Silvanus. We'll get into the details below. But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. In the version told by Apollonios Rhodios, the sea-god Glaucus informs the Argonauts that "a nymph has lost her heart to him and made him her husband". A later English translation glossed the adage's meaning with a third proverb, that of "falling, as we say, out of the frying pan into the fire, in which form the proverb has been adopted by the French, the Italians and the Spanish. Silas is a common given name and a lesser-known surname. [2] Silas is thus often identified with Silvanus of the Seventy. The adjective silvestris or silvester means wooded or overgrown with forests, or simply denoted anything growing wild and uncultivated; hence the names Silvester, Silvius and Silvia. Photo: Richard Stracke/CC by-NC-SA 3.0. Other Languages & Cultures Silvanus ( Ancient Roman) Silas, Silvanus ( Biblical) Silas, Silouanos ( Biblical Greek) Silas, Silvanus ( Biblical Latin) Silvijo ( Croatian) Silas ( Danish) Sylvain ( French) Silas ( German) Silvan ( German (Swiss)) Silas ( Greek) Silvano . Paul travelled to Athens, and Silas and Timothy later joined him in Corinth.[5]. Catholicos Patriarch of the Church of the East, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Silas_(name)&oldid=1149019285, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Silas Adams, the intelligent, laconic henchman of, Silas Dengdamor from season two of the BBC America television series Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, Silas Greaves, bounty hunter and protagonist of, Silas Greenback, primary antagonist in the British TV series, Silas P. Silas, played by Method Man in the stoner comedy, Silas Thatcher, a supporting antagonist in the 2012 video game, Silas Vorez, antagonist in the video game, Silas, portrayed by Nicholas Hoult in the 2015 film, Silas, (A.K.A. Pat Barker's New Novel of the Trojan War, Reviewed - The New Yorker He is consistently called "Silas" in Acts, but the Latin Silvanus, which means "of the forest," is always used by Paul and in the First Epistle of Peter; it is likely that "Silvanus" is the Romanized version of the original "Silas," or that "Silas" is the Greek nickname for "Silvanus."