1. silva — Lewis & Short
silva (less correctly sylva), ae (old
I gen. silvaï;
silua as trisyl.,Hor. C. 1, 23, 4; id. Epod. 13, 2; cf. Prisc. p. 546 P.), f. cf. Gr. u(/lh,, a wood, forest, woodland (syn.: saltus, nemus, lucus).
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.—
B Transf.
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 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.—
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.