Unfortunately, no specific titles or plot descriptions survive for the pantomime scripts (fabulae salticae) written by Abronius Silo's son. [1, 2]

When Seneca the Elder levels his criticism in Suasoriae (2.19), he completely omits any details about the son's actual repertoire. Instead, his focus remains entirely on the generational and cultural disgrace of the act itself, famously writing that the younger Silo: [1, 2]

"...qui pantomimis fabulas scripsit et ingenium grande non tantum deseruit sed polluit."
"...who composed libretti for pantomime dancers, and not only abandoned his great talent but polluted it." [1]

Why Seneca the Elder Censored the Details

• The "Anti-Theatrical" Aristocratic Bias: To an elite, old-school Roman conservative and provincial traditionalist like Seneca the Elder, pantomime was viewed as an effeminate, highly vulgar mass spectacle. Listing the specific titles of the younger Silo's scripts would be giving them a literary dignity they did not deserve in his eyes. [1, 2]
• The Nature of Pantomime Scripts: Ancient pantomime (fabula saltica) relied on a single, silent, masked male dancer who interpreted a story through highly expressive, rhythmic movements. The "script" written by poets like Silo Jr. was merely a vocal libretto sung by a backing chorus to narrate the action. Because the performance text was completely subordinate to the physical, visual spectacle of the dancer, these libretti were rarely preserved as serious reading material. [1, 2]

What Those Pantomimes Likely Looked Like

While we do not have Silo Jr.'s specific catalog, we know from contemporary sources (like Lucian's De Saltatione) exactly what kind of content court-elite pantomimes required during the Augustan and Julio-Claudian eras:

• Thematic Content: They were almost exclusively highly dramatic, emotionally intense adaptations of Greek mythology. Popular subjects included the tragic, scandalous, and passionate tales of Phaedra, Medea, Turnus, or the madness of Hercules. [1, 2]
• The Court Paradox: Seneca’s generation despised it because it "polluted" pure Latin poetry, yet it was the absolute height of high-society entertainment. Great emperors like Augustus and Nero passionately patronized these dancers, and elite Roman court circles frequently hired top-tier poets to ghostwrite the libretti for massive payouts. [1, 2, 3]

If you want to look closer at this era, we can explore how Ovid similarly wrote pantomime libretti, or look at how Seneca the Elder's own son (Seneca the Younger) later integrated these same vivid pantomime aesthetics into his written tragedies. Which aspect of Roman performance culture interests you next?