Silenus holding Bacchus at The Louvre, Paris

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According to ancient lore, Zeus instructed Silenus to bear Dionysos, his illicit offspring, safely away from Hera's vengeful wrath. A statue bearing the likeness of this mythological figure may have been fashioned after a long-lost bronze masterpiece crafted by renowned Greek sculptor Lysippos in the fourth century BC. This assumption is based on distinct features characteristic of the artist's style, including the slender physique and precarious balance of the body or unconventional use of empty space. The Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder documented a satyr sculpture created by Lysippos during his time in Athens (Natural History XXXIV, 64) in the first century AD. Over time, the pedestal has undergone renovation. The statue is an intricate assembly of original components combined with additional parts, crafted from marble and plaster.