I. Lit.
A. In gen., a being still or silent, noiselessness, stillness, silence (freq. and class.; cf. “taciturnitas): otium et silentium est, Ter. Hec. prol. alt. 35: et ipse conticuit et ceteris silentium fuit,” Cic. de Or. 3, 35, 143; cf. id. ib. 1, 35, 160; id. Rep. 2, 38, 64: “auditus est magno silentio,” id. Q. Fr. 2, 1, 1: “silentio auditus,” Caes. B. C. 3, 19, 3: “huic facietis Fabulae silentium,” Plaut. Am. prol. 15: “fac silentium,” id. Pers. 4, 3, 50; cf. Cic. Div. 1, 28, 59: “nec longa silentia feci,” kept silence, Ov. F. 1, 183: silentio facto, silence being obtained, Quadrig. ap. Gell. 9, 13, 10; Liv. 24, 7 fin.; Petr. 14 fin.; Quint. 2, 5, 6 al.; also with the signif. to make or procure silence: “Fabius cum silentium classico fecisset,” Liv. 2, 45; Tac. H. 3, 20; Curt. 10, 6, 3; Phaedr. 5, 5, 15: “facere silentia majestate manūs,” Pers. 4, 7: “tribuni plebis, cum inviti silentium tenuissent,” Liv. 5, 9, 4; so, “tenere silentium,” id. 1, 16, 2; 1, 28, 8; 9, 38, 14: “silentium obtinere,” id. 1, 16, 2; cf.: “obstinatum silentium obtinuit,” id. 9, 38, 14: “tenuere silentia cuncti,” Ov. M. 1, 206: “se silentium fieri jussisse,” Cic. Div. 1, 28, 59; Luc. 1, 298: “silentium imperare,” Sen. Vit. Beat. 26, 7; Tac. G. 11: “silentium significare,” to give a signal for silence, Cic. Brut. 84, 290: “cum silentio animadvertite,” Ter. Eun. prol. 44: “Athenienses cum silentio auditi sunt,” Liv. 38, 10, 4: “cum silentio ad aliquem convenire,” id. 7, 35, 1; so, “cum silentio,” id. 25, 9, 15: “agere per silentium,” Ter. Heaut. prol. 36; cf. id. Hec. prol. alt. 21; id. Phorm. prol. 30: “per silentium noctis,” Liv. 3, 42, 3; Tac. A. 4, 53; id. Agr. 3: “ego illas omnes res egi silentio,” Cic. Prov. Cons. 12, 29; cf.: “ut nulla fere pars orationis silentio praeteriretur,” in silence, without applause, id. Brut. 22, 88; “more freq.: praeterire silentio,” to pass over in silence, to say nothing about, id. Sull. 21, 62; id. Part. Or. 23, 82; id. Phil. 13, 6 Orell. N. cr.; Plin. Ep. 5, 20, 6; “for which: silentio transire,” Cic. Att. 2, 19, 3; Quint. 2, 3, 1; 5, 12, 23: “periculosissimum locum silentio sum praetervectus,” Cic. Phil. 7, 3, 8: “transmittere aliquem,” Tac. A. 1, 13 fin. al.; cf.: “cum M. Tullius de omnibus (oratoribus) aetatis suae silentium egerit,” keeps silence, is silent, Quint. 10, 1, 38: “tenere se intra silentium,” Plin. Ep. 4, 17, 8; 7, 6, 6: “de Partho silentium est,” nothing is said, Cic. Att. 5, 16, 4: “ut laudem eorum a silentio vindicarem,” i. e. obscurity, id. de Or. 2, 2, 7; Sen. Ep. 21, 5; Plin. Ep. 9, 14, 1: “gravissimas plagas ferre silentio,” Cic. Tusc. 2, 20, 46: “quam maximum silentium haberi jubet,” Sall. J. 99, 1: “lacrimae omnibus obortae, et diu maestum silentium tenuit,” prevailed, Liv. 40, 8, 20.—Poet.: fer opem furtoque silentia deme, remove silence from, i. e. tell of, disclose, Ov. M. 2, 700.—Of the stillness, silence, dead of night: “silentio noctis Caesar ex castris egressus,” Caes. B. G. 7, 36: “in silentio noctis,” id. ib. 7, 26; cf.: “se vocem noctis silentio audisse clariorem humanā,” Liv. 5, 32: “paulo ante mediam noctem silentio ex oppido egressi,” Caes. B. G. 7, 11; cf. id. ib. 7, 18; 7, 60; Liv. 8, 23, 9, 38.—Poet., in plur.: “silentia noctis,” Lucr. 4, 461; Stat. Th. 1, 441: “quid me alta silentia cogis Rumpere,” Verg. A. 10, 63; Ov. M. 7, 184: “taciturna silentia,” Lucr. 4, 585: “torquent illum furibunda silentia,” Stat. Th. 10, 890.—The stillness, quietness of the fields: “nactus silentia ruris,” Ov. M. 1, 232; cf.: “vidit desolatas agere alta silentia terras,” id. ib. 1, 349.—Of wood that makes no noise, does not snap, Plin. 16, 16, 28, § 70.—
B. In partic., in augural lang., freedom from disturbance; hence, faultlessness, perfectness in the taking of auspices: “id silentium dicimus in auspiciis, quod omni vitio caret, etc.,” Cic. Div. 2, 34, 71; cf. Fest. p. 348 Müll.; s. v. sinistrum, p. 351 ib.; and v. Becker, Antiq. vol. 2, pars 3, p. 76 sq.—
II. Transf., a standstill (opp. to motion or activity); cessation, repose, inaction, tranquillity, etc. (rare but class.): mundus caeli vastus constitit silentio, Enn. ap. Macr. 6, 2 med.: “silentium perpetuum judiciorum ac fori,” Cic. Pis. 14, 32; cf. Tac. Agr. 39: “vitam silentio transire,” Sall. C. 1, 1: “silentium otiumque inter armatos,” Liv. 2, 45: biduum deinde silentium fuit neutris transgredientibus amnem, id. 37, 38: “idem praeturae tenor et silentium,” Tac. Agr. 6: “quantum distant a morte silentia vitae?” Sil. 3, 145.
