Siren

Sīrēn, ēnis, f., = Seirên, a Siren.

I.

Lit., usu. plur.: Sīrēnes, um, = Seirênes, the Sirens, who, according to the myth, were birds with the faces of virgins. They dwelt on the southern coast of Italy, where, with their sweet voices, they enticed ashore those who were sailing by, and then killed them, Ov. M. 5, 555; Hyg. Fab. 125; 141; Serv. Verg. A. 5, 864; Cic. Fin. 5, 18, 49; Prop. 3, 12 (4, 11), 34; Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 23; Mart. 3, 64, 1; Ov. R. Am. 789; Plin. 10, 49, 70, § 136 al.— Sing.:

Siren,

Sil. 14, 473; cf. infra, 2.: scopuli Sirenum, three small islands of rock on the south-west coast of Campania, between Surrentum and Capreœ; in Gr. Seirênousai, now Galli, Verg. A. 5, 864 Heyne; Ov. M. 14, 88;

also called Sirenum petrae,

Mel. 2, 4, 9.—Hence, strange birds: Sirenes in delubris voluptatum, owls or ostriches, Vulg. lsa. 13, 22.—

2.

Transf.

(α).

Of the drones in a hive:

fuei (vocantur) sirenes aut cephenes,

Plin. 11, 16, 16, § 48. —

(β).

Poet.: Cato Grammaticus, Latina Siren, the Latin Siren (as master of song), Poët. ap. Suet. Gram. 11:

qui gaudet acerbo Plagarum strepitu et nullam Sirena flagellis Comparat,

i. e. thinks no Siren's song equal to the sound of the whip, Juv. 14, 19:

vitanda est improba Siren Desidia,

allurer, seducer, Hor. S. 2, 3, 14.—Hence,

A.

Sīrē-nĭus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to the Sirens, Siren-:

scopuli, i. q. Sirenum scopuli (v. supra, I.),

Gell. 16, 8, 17; Amm. 29, 2, 14. —

B.

Sīrēnaeus, a, um, adj., Siren-:

cantus,

Siren-song, Hier. Ep. 82, 5.—

C.

Sī-rēnis, ĭdis, adj. f., of the Sirens, Prisc. Perieg. 354.—

II.

A kind of drones, Plin. 11, 16, 16, § 48.