In a fragment of Eudemus (354 BCE) by Aristotle, which appears in Plutarch’s, Moralia we see some of Silenus’ wisdom as he reluctantly speaks with King Midas:
“Pertinently to this they say that Midas, after hunting, asked his captive Silenus somewhat urgently, what was the most desirable thing among humankind. At first he could offer no response, and was obstinately silent. At length, when Midas would not stop plaguing him, he erupted with these words, though very unwillingly: 'you, seed of an evil genius and precarious offspring of hard fortune, whose life is but for a day, why do you compel me to tell you those things of which it is better you should remain ignorant? For he lives with the least worry who knows not his misfortune; but for humans, the best for them is not to be born at all, not to partake of nature's excellence; not to be is best, for both sexes. This should be our choice, if choice we have; and the next to this is, when we are born, to die as soon as we can.' It is plain therefore, that he declared the condition of the dead to be better than that of the living.”
Silenos (Silenus), the Pheres, and the Lamioi. In Greek mythology, these are closely linked figures from the retinue of Dionysus. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Here is a quick breakdown of how these concepts and entities relate to one another:
Silenos (Silenus): The oldest and wisest of the Satyrs, and the foster father and tutor of the wine god Dionysus. He is typically depicted as a jovial, balding, and pot-bellied old man with the ears and tail of a horse, often riding a donkey and in a perpetual state of drunkenness. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Pheres (Pheres Lamioi): Also known as the Lamian Beasts, these were twelve rustic demigods or centaurs native to the River Lamos in Cilicia. [1]
The Mythological Connection: According to myths (most notably preserved by the poet Nonnus), these twelve guardians were originally the sons of the Lamian naiads who nursed the infant Dionysus. When Hera discovered the child, she drove them mad, causing Zeus to transform her into the wild, bestial centaurs that would act as his bodyguards. Because of their rustic and bestial nature, they are frequently classified as a type of Seilenoi (plural of Silenos)