(), an Ambracian soothsayer, who accompanied Cyrus
the Younger in his expedition against his brother Artaxerxes, in B. C.
401. For a successful prediction Cyrus rewarded him with 3000 darics, or 10 talents.
This money Silanus carefully preserved throughout the campaign and subsequent retreat, and was
very anxious to return with it to his country. Accordingly, when Xenophon consulted him at
Cotyora, on the plan which he had formed of founding a Greek colony on the coast of the
Euxine, he revealed the project to the Cyreans, and did all in his power to thwart it. On this
Xenophon publicly professed to have abandoned the design, and proposed that no one should be
permitted to remain behind the rest of the army, or to sail away before it. The latter part of
this proposition was most disagreeable to Silanus, who loudly remonstrated against it, but to
no purpose, the soldiers threatening to punish him, should they catch him in any attempt to
depart by himself. Not long after, however, he contrived to make his escape in a ship which he
hired at Heracleia. (Xen. Anab. 1.7.18, 5.6. §§ 16, 18, 29, 34, 6.4.13.)