The image of the Roman deity Silvanus in narrative sources

Abstract

The article examines the features of the image of Silvanus in the works of authors of the 2nd century BC - 7th century AD. The Romans believed that this god influenced the maintenance of balance in nature and was the protector of land plots. The author of the article comes to the conclusion that in most cases Silvanus is introduced into the plot of the work without any significance for the development of the plot. At the same time, his image contains an important idea of a divine youth - the patron of forests and fields, the guardian of the boundaries of farmsteads. Based on the works of ancient writers and poets, one can form an idea of how sacrifices were made in honor of Silvanus. However, the question of the gender composition of his worshipers remains debatable: ancient and early medieval writers did not speak very clearly about allowing women to participate in these services.