Silenus,
in Greek mythology, oldest of the satyrs, the son of Hermes, messenger of the gods, or of Pan, a woodland god. The tutor of the young god Dionysus, Silenus often accompanied him on his travels. The old satyr was usually drunk, and he could be compelled, if caught in a drunken sleep, to prophesy the future. As a reward for his hospitality to Silenus, Dionysus granted Midas, king of Phrygia, the golden touch. In art Silenus is represented as a little old man in a state of jovial intoxication.