Silenus of Caleacte (Σιληνός ὁ Καλακτηνός) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic period, active in the 3rd century BCE. His ethnonym indicates an origin in Caleacte, Sicily. He served as a court historian for King Hiero II of Syracuse (r. c. 270–215 BCE) [1][2]. No further biographical details survive.

His known work is the Sikelika or Sicilian History, which exists only in fragments preserved by later authors [1][2].

Silenus is significant as a contemporary historian of Hiero II's reign and the First Punic War. His work was a major source for the Roman historian Coelius Antipater, who subsequently informed Livy’s account, thereby shaping the Roman historical tradition of the war [1][2]. His pro-Hiero perspective is noted in source criticism, and his writing represents the continuation of local Greek historiography in the western Mediterranean.

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Silenus-of-Caleacte 2. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics: https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-5902