batch.motif.greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg-l5880-l5895
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg-l5880-l5895
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
passage_locator:
label: PALES. / PICUS. / PICUMNUS AND PILUMNUS. / SILVANUS.; lines 5880-5895
start: '5880'
end: '5895'
translation: Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The passage identifies Picumnus and Pilumnus as Roman household divinities
presiding over newborn infants. It describes Silvanus as a woodland divinity resembling
Faunus and Greek Pan, presiding over plantations and forests, protecting field
boundaries, represented as an old man carrying a cypress tree, connected with
the transformation of Cyparissus into that tree, and receiving sacrifices of milk,
meat, wine, grapes, wheat-ears, and pigs.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Picumnus and Pilumnus are described as two Roman household divinities.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Picumnus and Pilumnus are described as special presiding deities of newborn
infants.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Silvanus is described as a woodland divinity who greatly resembled Faunus
and the Greek Pan.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Silvanus is described as presiding over plantations and forests and specially
protecting field boundaries.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: Silvanus is represented as a hale old man carrying a cypress tree.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Roman mythology attributes the transformation of Cyparissus into the cypress
tree to Silvanus.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: The sacrifices to Silvanus are listed as milk, meat, wine, grapes, wheat-ears,
and pigs.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Picumnus
description: A Roman household divinity and special presiding deity of newborn infants.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Pilumnus
description: A Roman household divinity and special presiding deity of newborn infants.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Silvanus
description: A woodland divinity associated with plantations, forests, field boundaries,
a cypress tree, and specific sacrifices.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Faunus
description: A divinity whom Silvanus is said to resemble.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Greek Pan
description: A Greek divinity whom Silvanus is said to resemble.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Cyparissus
description: A youth whose transformation into the cypress tree is attributed to
Silvanus.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
roles:
- id: role:1
label: household divinity
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:2
basis: The passage calls Picumnus and Pilumnus household divinities of the Romans.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: presiding deity of newborn infants
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:2
basis: The passage says they were special presiding deities of newborn infants.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: woodland divinity
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The passage identifies Silvanus as a woodland divinity.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:4
label: protector of field boundaries
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The passage says Silvanus specially protected the boundaries of fields.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:5
label: recipient of sacrifices
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The passage lists sacrifices offered to Silvanus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:6
label: comparative resemblance figure
assigned_to:
- fig:4
- fig:5
basis: The passage says Silvanus greatly resembled Faunus and Greek Pan.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:7
label: transformed youth
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The passage says Cyparissus was transformed into the cypress tree.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: cypress tree
literal_form: cypress-tree
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: milk sacrifice
literal_form: milk
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- milk
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:3
label: sacrificial foods and drink
literal_form: meat, wine, grapes, wheat-ears, and pigs
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: field boundaries
literal_form: boundaries of fields
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Household protection of newborn infants
summary: Picumnus and Pilumnus are identified as Roman household divinities who
preside over newborn infants.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Silvanus as woodland and boundary deity
summary: Silvanus is described as a woodland divinity presiding over plantations
and forests and protecting field boundaries.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Silvanus with cypress and Cyparissus transformation
summary: Silvanus is represented as an old man carrying a cypress tree, and Roman
mythology attributes Cyparissus's transformation into that tree to him.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Sacrifices to Silvanus
summary: The passage lists milk, meat, wine, grapes, wheat-ears, and pigs as sacrifices
to Silvanus.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Protective household deities of newborn infants
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Two Roman household divinities are said to preside specially over newborn
infants.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives only a brief handbook description and no narrative episode.
- id: motif:2
label: Woodland deity guarding field boundaries
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Silvanus presides over plantations and forests and protects field boundaries.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: No broader boundary-crossing narrative is provided in the passage.
- id: motif:3
label: Transformation of a youth into a tree
taxonomy_refs:
- shapeshifter
basis: The transformation of Cyparissus into the cypress tree is attributed to Silvanus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The available taxonomy does not include a precise plant-transformation
motif; 'shapeshifter' is only an approximate family reference.
- id: motif:4
label: Sacrificial offerings to a woodland deity
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
basis: The passage lists milk, meat, wine, grapes, wheat-ears, and pigs as sacrifices
to Silvanus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The passage lists offerings but does not describe a ritual sequence or
mythic outcome.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage explicitly presents Silvanus as resembling Faunus and the Greek
Pan.
claim_level: same_function
target: Faunus and Greek Pan
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: The passage states resemblance but does not specify which traits are
shared beyond Silvanus's woodland character.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: quote
locator: lines 5880-5883
quote_or_summary: "“Picumnus and Pilumnus were two household divinities of the Romans”
and “special presiding deities of new-born infants.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation used for evidence.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 5885-5889
quote_or_summary: Silvanus is described as a woodland divinity resembling Faunus
and Greek Pan, presiding over plantations and forests, and protecting field boundaries.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 5891-5894
quote_or_summary: Silvanus is represented as a hale old man carrying a cypress tree;
Roman mythology attributes Cyparissus's transformation into that tree to him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: quote
locator: line 5895
quote_or_summary: "“His sacrifices consisted of milk, meat, wine, grapes, wheat-ears,
and pigs.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation used for evidence.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: Extraction is based on a short, explicit handbook passage. Motif taxonomy
alignment is limited where the passage describes static divine functions rather
than extended narrative motifs.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Only the provided passage and metadata were used.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg__l5880-l5895
passage_sha256=19551bc45e0c711860a3cbbbeb4e1297ee7ad702b29bc68f3e9ccb7f05186be2