Saint Silas is celebrated in the Calendar of Saints of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and that of the Episcopal Church (United States) with a Lesser Feast[8] on January 26 with Timothy and Titus, and separately on July 13 by the Roman Catholic Church and February 10 by the Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod. That the myths contained a considerable element of fiction was recognized by the more critical Greeks, such as the philosopher Plato in the 5th-4th century bce. 14. 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. Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. Comments Off on Orthodox Saint Silas History and Name Day Information. Fictional character in Greek mythology; young companion to Heracles, This article is about the Greek mythological figure. Silas (Latin) - "Woods" or "forest" Rare Boy Names From Mythology Abraxas (Greek name) - "Supreme deity" Achelous (Greek) - "Shape-shifting river god" or the "Greek god and personification of the Achelous River" Atlas (Greek) - Mythical Titan and the strongest Greek god who had to carry the world on his shoulders Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Meaning & History. His feast day is on July 30th of each year. "[11], A later Punch caricature by John Tenniel, dated 10 October 1863, pictures the prime minister Lord Palmerston carefully steering the British ship of state between the perils of Scylla, a craggy rock in the form of a grim-visaged Abraham Lincoln, and Charybdis, a whirlpool which foams and froths into a likeness of Jefferson Davis.
While in Jerusalem, he helped establish the Christian Church there and is known as being one of its founding members. Leo Origin: Latin Meaning: "Lion" Is your baby boy making their debut in this world in July or August? "The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms" by Christine Ammer.
Silvanus (mythology) - Wikipedia Many of these saints have even died as martyrs for their dedication.
Midas - World History Encyclopedia Modern science didn't know these things until Einstein, a Jew, thought of them meaning that these truths were not discovered in a laboratory, but in the unaided mind of a ponderous man who had been brought up to think in patterns and self-similarities (Psalm 78:2, Matthew 13:35). The apostle Peter too mentions Silvanus as having helped him write his first letter. Origin: Greek, Latin. She was referred to as Chloe in the spring months, due to the name's relation to sprouts and growth. [17], In 2014 Graham Waterhouse composed a piano quartet, Skylla and Charybdis, premiered at the Gasteig in Munich. (Acts 16:1624, NRSV). [2][3][4][5] He is also described as a god watching over the fields and husbandmen, protecting in particular the boundaries of fields. They were later localized in the Strait of Messina. . However, beyond thatand her owners anger over this losswe dont know what happens to her. Silas may mean Highway Making or Highway Heaper and relate to the verb (sala), to heap, the way the noun (niphas), snowstorm, relates to the verb (neipho), to snow, or the noun (lampas), lamp, relates to the verb (lampo), to shine.
Silas - Wikipedia [14] Nevertheless, the idiom has since taken on new life in pop lyrics. Paul refers to him as Silvanus in his epistles, though it is possible that Silas was in fact a Greek form of the Hebrew name Saul (via Aramaic).
[9], In works of Latin poetry and art, Silvanus always appears as an old man, but as cheerful and in love with Pomona. [2] The mythical situation also developed a proverbial use in which seeking to choose between equally dangerous extremes is seen as leading inevitably to disaster. 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]. In particular the initiation rituals of the evocati appear to have referenced Silvanus as a protective god of raiding for women and cattle, perhaps preserving elements of earlier Etruscan worship. Verb (sala) also means to pile up but emphasizes the tossing and particularly the tossing aside of elements that won't fit a standard. Silas is thus sometimes depicted in art carrying broken chains. 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. With such a diverse and meaningful background, it's no wonder that Silas continues to be a popular choice for parents of all genders and cultures. They treat her as a Queen because of her great beauty. According to Greek mythology, Apollo killed the massive snake Python at Delphi. Silas is first mentioned in Acts 15:22, where he and Judas Barsabbas (known often as 'Judas') were selected by the church elders to return with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch following the Jerusalem Council. Chloe is also mentioned in the New Testament as the name of a Greek Christian woman.
Ares | God, Myths, Siblings, Family, & Facts | Britannica 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. 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. Hylas is also mentioned in Christopher Marlowe's play Edward II: "Not Hylas was more mourned for of Hercules / Than thou hast been of me since thy exile" (Act I, Scene I, line 142-3), and in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Chapter 11: "and gilded a boy that he might serve at the feast as Ganymede or Hylas.". There is some disagreement over the original or "proper" form of his name: "Silas", "Silvanus", "Seila", and "Saul" seem to be treated at the time as equivalent versions of the same name in different languages, and it is not clear which is the original name of "Silas", and which is a translation or equivalent nickname, or whether some references are to different persons with equivalent names. He represented the distasteful aspects of brutal warfare and slaughter. Tatyana Tomsickova Photography / Getty Images. 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". He is often depicted as a bearded man with a shield full of hail-stones. 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 .
Greek mythology | Gods, Stories, & History | Britannica Christian Martyrdom. 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. [citation needed]. Demigods in Greek Mythology.
Silas | The amazing name Silas: meaning and etymology - Abarim Publications Probably a short form of Silvanus. His wife is recorded as either Anaxibia, daughter of Bias, or Phylomache, daughter of Amphion. As we discuss more elaborately on our article on the noun (hodos), meaning way (hence the term Ex-Hodos or Exodus, meaning Way Out), the followers of Christ were known as the People of the Way (Acts 9:2, 19:9, 19:23, 22:4, 24:14, 24:22), in obvious resonance of Jesus' declaration that he was the Way (John 14:6), and Isaiah's prophesies: The verb (salal) primarily means to cast or heap up, and is mostly used in relation to building highways. However, we do know that he lost his life in Macedonia sometime before 100 A.D. Theocritus, on the other hand, has the nymphs shutting his mouth underwater to stifle his screams for Heracles. Demigods were the offspring of a deity and mortal, half-gods, who were invariably renowned for their courage, leadership and great strength. Like the python-girl in Philippi, they are viewed as less than people: commodities to be bought, sold, and traded. derived from Saul hebrew meaning = "the youngest" Transcription to Late Latin Silas, from Greek Silas, from Aramaic: Region of origin: Greek: Other names; Related names: Sylvanus, Silvanus, Sylvain , Silvan (Dutch, German), Silvano : Silas is a common given name and a lesser-known surname. Still searching for the perfect baby name? Paul, the Python Girl, and Human Trafficking,, Paul, the Python Girl, and Human Trafficking. Many of the ancient gods, like Zeus, had children as a result of their romantic involvement with mortals. Their mother was said to have left her family behind after seeing lightning in the sky, interpreting this as a sign to return to her clan. If you're looking for a baby boy name inspired by woodlands and the uncultivated beauty of nature, Silas is a perfect choice. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. His mother was also a follower.
Mythology Names - Behind the Name Stanisaw Lem adopted these characters in his 1957 non-fiction, philosophical book, Dialogi (Dialogues). At first glance, Pat Barker's 2018 novel, "The Silence of the Girls . 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. In season 8, Sirens are actually featured in our world's greek mythology (The Oddysey). [15][16] American heavy metal band Trivium also referenced the idiom in "Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis", a track from their 2008 album Shogun, in which the lyrics are about having to choose "between death and doom". Scylla was a supernatural female creature, with 12 feet and six heads on long snaky necks, each head having a triple row of sharklike teeth . Sylvanus was the Roman god of the countryside and his name was originally bestowed on people who lived in wooded areas or who worked with wood. A little forest was known as silvula.The adjective silvestris or silvester means wooded or overgrown with forests, or simply denoted anything growing wild and uncultivated; hence the names Silvester . He represents the materialist position against which Berkeley (through Philonous) argues. He was also not only mentioned in the Bible, but he also wrote one of the books of the New Testament. The two pillars of the gentile church are Paul and Peter, and both these men obtained their names through a dramatic name-change. 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". 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. The poet Theocritus (about 300 BC) wrote about the love between Heracles and Hylas: "We are not the first mortals to see beauty in what is beautiful. 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. Here are some popular options: Notable people named Silas include actors, athletes, and writers. 100 most popular boy's name in the U.S., according to2020 Social Security Administration data.
Siren - World History Encyclopedia The other Barsabbas mentioned in Acts is Joseph Barsabbas, who rivaled Matthias as candidate to replace Judas Iscariot. Hence, where Luke adorns the prologue to the birth of Christ with shepherds abiding in the field (Luke 2:8), Matthew has magi come out of the East (Matthew 2:1). From at least the time of Homerwho established him as the son of the chief god, Zeus, and Hera, his consortAres was one of the . It has been suggested that Silas is the Greek version of the Aramaic "Seila," a version of the Hebrew "Saul". She also is the protector of small children and animals. The harassers followed the trio to Berea, threatening Paul's safety, and causing Paul to separate from Silas and Timothy. Pelias ( / pilis / PEE-lee-ass; Ancient Greek: ) was king of Iolcus in Greek mythology. The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust, Published by H. Humphrey, London 8 April 1793, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Between_Scylla_and_Charybdis&oldid=1144404630, Phrases and idioms derived from Greek mythology, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 March 2023, at 15:54. [10] This was in the context of the effect of the French Revolution on politics in Britain. Christine is a lifestyle journalist with 17 years of professional experience and the author of the parenting book, Rattled! After Heracles killed Theiodamas in battle, he took on Hylas as his arms-bearer and taught him to be a warrior. There one is advised, much in the spirit of the commentary of Erasmus, that the risk of being envied for wealth or reputation is preferable to being swallowed by the Charybdis of poverty: "Choose the lesser of these evils. In the words of Luke: "The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom" (Luke 2:40), and "Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" (Luke 2:52). [16], In the provinces outside of Italy, Silvanus was identified with numerous native gods:[17], The Slavic god Porewit has similarities with Silvanus. Was He More than an Exodus Hero? ", Heracles took Hylas with him on the Argo, thus making him one of the Argonauts. The story of Hylas and the nymphs is alluded to in Book 3 of Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene, Canto XII, Stanza 7: Or that same daintie lad, which was so deare By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. 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). But as fascinating the story is, and reminiscent of the search for the primer in Carl Sagan's Contact, author Luke blatantly hints at a much greater world of meaning by submitting the formula: when (Paul & Barnabas) + (Silas & Barsabbas) becomes (Paul & Silas), then remains (Barnabas & Barsabbas) to go to Cyprus. As protector of the forest (sylvestris deus), he especially presided over plantations and delighted in trees growing wild. Doppleganger mythology exists in our world too. And: "I will make all My mountains a road, And My highways will be raised up" (Isaiah 49:11). He also appears in the conclusion of 1 Peter at 5:12, and is perhaps the amanuensis. The Greek transliteration of this Hebrew name is (Saoul), but the Hellenized version of its Aramaic counterpart is (Silas). Scylla and Charybdis, in Greek mythology, two immortal and irresistible monsters who beset the narrow waters traversed by the hero Odysseus in his wanderings described in Homers Odyssey, Book XII. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. 20They brought them before the magistrates and said, These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar21by advocating customs unlawful for us Romansto accept or practice., 22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. We'll look into this strange phenomenon of broken symmetry further below. Acts 16:1624 is full of violence and exploitation. Paul, Silas, and Timothy are listed as co-authors of the two New Testament letters to the Thessalonians, though the authorship is disputed. It's important to select a name that you feel suits . In Acts 16:1624, the apostle Paul meets a slave girl with a spirit of python, who is able to tell the future. The son of Hera and Zeus, Ares was one of the twelve Olympians and the Greek god of war and courage. Some traditions claim Python to be the child of the goddess Gaea (Earth), who had a sanctuary at Delphi. Gallio inscription). Updates? its internal complexity). Who Was Moses? Subsequently, certain particles distinguished themselves from the herd by being receptive to the strong force (these particles, known as quarks, went on to build atomic nuclei, which store the vast majority of mass and data in the universe), whereas others distinguished themselves by being receptive to the electro-weak force (among which leptons, from which came the electrons that allow nuclei to support a soul and bind with other nuclei and form molecules; Genesis 2:7 and 2:22). Saul, as everybody knows, is also the name of Israel's first king, and ostensibly, Saul of Tarsus came from the same tribe as Saul the king, namely the tribe of Benjamin. It is a cognate of Silvanus. Written by Greek Boston in Greek Orthodox Religious Information
As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you." [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. These events can be dated to around AD 50: the reference in Acts 18:12 to Proconsul Gallio helps ascertain this date (cf. The name Saul, and thus possibly the name Silas, comes from the verb (sha'al) meaning to ask, inquire, borrow, beg: The verb (sha'al) means to ask. [5], The myth was later given an allegorical interpretation by the French poet Barthlemy Aneau in his emblem book Picta Poesis (1552).
Scylla and Charybdis | Description, Tales, & Legacy | Britannica Sallu, the Straight-Highway-Maker, to do what Bar-Jesus so miserably failed at. Gender: Silas is traditionally a male-given name meaning "wood," or "of the forest." Pronunciation: Sigh-Lus or Sigh-Liss. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks that way. Wholly true to form, Israel's celebrated Exodus out of Egypt was livened up by the absorption of a "mixed multitude" (Exodus 12:38), and the escape from bondage became celebrated by the feast of Pascha: noun (pesah), Passover, comes from the verb (pasah), to pass-over (i.e. [10] These references to Silvanus as an aspect of Mars combined with his association with forests and glades, give context to the worship of Silvanus as the giver of the art (techne) of forest warfare. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas,men who were leaders among the believers., 19When her owners realized that their hope of making moneywas gone, they seized Paul and Silasand draggedthem into the marketplace to face the authorities. He fild with Hylas name; the Nymphes eke "Hylas" cryde. [3][14] Later speculators even identified Silvanus with Pan, Faunus, Inuus and Aegipan. The name Silas is commonly accepted to be the shorted version of Silvanus. [6], Hylas is also mentioned in Thomas Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd: "He called again: the valleys and farthest hills resounded as when the sailors invoked the lost Hylas on the Mysian shore; but no sheep.". Sila (Arabic: alternatively spelled Si'la or called Si'lat literally: "Hag" or "treacherous spirits of invariable form" pl. Photo: Richard Stracke/CC by-NC-SA 3.0. Charybdis, who lurked under a fig tree a bowshot away on the opposite shore, drank down and belched forth the waters thrice a day and was fatal to shipping. We'll get into the details below. Sa'aali adj: su'luwwa) is a supernatural creature assigned to the jinn or ghouls in Arabian[1] folklore. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. They were later localized in the Strait of Messina. Roman cognomen meaning "of the woods", derived from Latin silva meaning "wood, forest". OrthodoxWiki Apostle Silas (Also Source for Photo Credit for Image Above), Categorized in: Greek Orthodox Religious Information, on Orthodox Saint Silas History and Name Day Information, Orthodox Saint Pelagia History and Name Day Information, Getting to Know the Altar in a Greek Orthodox Church, Orthodox Saint Pachomius History and Name Day Information, St. Mariana Orthodox Saint History and Name Day Information. Check theName Day page for more information about other Orthodox Christian name days. In the Bible, the apostle Paul encounters a slave girl who is also able to see the future; she is said to be possessed with a spirit of python. Photo: Bernard Gagnon/CC by-SA 4.0. 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. For more than a millennium, people sought the prophecies of Apollos famous oracle at Delphi: Pythia, a priestess at the temple, who was said to have the spirit of the god. Some translations, including the New International Version, call him "Silas" in the epistles. Silas or Silvanus (/sals/; Greek: /; fl. The name Paul means small, and is not unlike the noun (lepton), a very small thing, from which English gets its word lepton, belonging to the family of particles of which the electron is the best known member.
Ancient Greek Names | Nameberry By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. All told, 3,599 boys were named Silas last year, representing 0.197% of total male births in 2020. Rich Scherr is a seasoned journalist who has covered technology, finance, sports, and lifestyle. Narcissus is a figure from Greek mythology who was so impossibly handsome that he fell in love with his own image reflected in a pool of water. 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. He uses a technique derived from what physicists call a breach in symmetry (and biologists punctuated equilibrium): when a great many particles (or animals) behave in the same way, there is perfect symmetry and the particles (or animals) are really the same beasts. The name has various meanings: it means "sea" in Hawaiian; in Japanese, "forgiveness.". Judah). Saul, Paul's old name, or perhaps a.k.a. The Barsabbas of our story was also known as Judas (i.e. It was during the second mission that he and Paul were imprisoned briefly in Philippi, where an earthquake broke their chains and opened the prison door. In Greek mythology, Silas was a god of trees and forests. 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. Her character was most likely the personification of a whirlpool. By Christine Coppa Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. Jesus of Nazareth embodied the eternal and divine Word of God, but even though this Word itself never changes or is ever incomplete, the embodiment of this Word in human flesh was received and allowed to grow like a single seed into maturity. In classical mythology, Hylas (Ancient Greek: , romanized:Hlas) was a youth who served as Heracles's (Roman Hercules) companion and servant. A change of name is an important element in the narrative of the Torah, and marks the patriarch cycle: both arch-parents Abraham and Sarah attained the names of their fame through a dramatic name-change (see our article on the verb , gamos, to marry), and their grandson Jacob had his name changed to Israel, after "wrestling" with the angel of YHWH. [2] Silas is thus often identified with Silvanus of the Seventy. [6][25][26][27] Virgil represents him as carrying the trunk of a cypress (Greek: ),[14] about which the following myth is told. Rather similarly, Simon was named Peter after "wrestling" with Jesus (and see our article on , konia, dust). Paul and the Slave Girl. Without a name to identify this girl, its possible she was better known by her unusual gift. Expand Links. Joseph is the name of the only full-blooded brother of Benjamin (their mother was Rachel, the most loved wife of Jacob), and Israel's first royal, (albeit a viceroy, albeit over Egypt), as well as the father-by-law of Jesus, who, ostensibly like his ancient namesake, was an accomplished oneirocritic (see , onar, dream), who likewise survived in Egypt (Matthew 2:15). No, even Amphitryon's bronze-hearted son, who defeated the savage Nemean lion, loved a boycharming Hylas, whose hair hung down in curls. The name comes from the early Christian disciple Silas. [5], After Heracles killed Theiodamas in battle, he took on Hylas as his arms-bearer and taught him to be a warrior.
Hylas - Wikipedia Based on the episode from Acts 16 in the Bible, the painting dates to c. 1860 and appears outside the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome. But even better: with just a little creativity, our name (Silas) may also very well be derived from the cluster (salal), to heap, and specifically of highways.
This action, which deprives her of her fortune-telling ability, angers her owners and lands Paul and his companion Silas in prison. (1 Samuel 8:7-8). [8], The story was often applied to political situations at a later date. Heres more information about Saint David: Silas is one of those Apostles who was around in the early days of the Christian church. Popularity of the Name Silas. After Paul casts the spirit of python out of her, we are told that she loses this ability.
117+ Ancient Mythology Names (With Meanings) - Thought Catalog According to the Latin Argonautica of Valerius Flaccus, they never found Hylas because the latter had fallen in love with the nymphs and remained "to share their power and their love".