Steelyard weight modelled on Silenus found in Cockermouth and dates back around 2000 years.
As titles go, the god of wine-making and drunkenness definitely falls into the ‘double-edged sword’ category, but that was the honour bestowed on Silenus, the Greek god currently in the news after a bust was discovered during an archaeological dig in the north west of England.
One of the most famous depictions of Silenus is the sculpture of him holding the infant Dionysus, later becoming the companion and tutor of the more famous Greek god: Silenus, perhaps unfairly, seen as the sidekick of Dionysus.
The steelyard weight of Silenus was discovered in a field in Cockermouth, dating back to the first century, and labelled quite correctly as a “survivor of roman craftsmanship and artistry”.
“This particular discovery by itself is a remarkable find. It is a wonderful survivor of roman craftsmanship and artistry,” said Finds Officer Julie Shoemark. “The size of the weight is definitely surprising. These weights usually tend to be a little bit smaller. I would say one in this condition and one depicting Silenus particularly is a little more unusual I have only found one good parallel for him.”
