Antoniano, Silvio

Antoniano, Silvio an Italian cardinal, was born at Rome, Dec. 31, 1540. Son of a cloth- dealer, he at first applied himself to the study of the fine arts, and obtained the name of II Poetino. He gained by his talents the favor of Hercules II, duke of Ferrara, who appointed him, at the age of sixteen, professor of eloquence at Ferrara. At the death of his patron, he was called to Rome in 1559 by Pius IV, who made him secretary of cardinal Charles Borromeo. While acting in this capacity he wrote the Acts of the Council of Milan, and thereby gained a number of friends and patrons. Afterwards he was appointed professor of belles-lettres in the College of Sapienza at Rome. His lectures were brilliant, and it is said that on the day when he commenced the explanation of Cicero's oration Pro Marcello he had twenty-five cardinals in his audience. He was one of the most distinguished members of the Academy of the Vatican, established by cardinal Borromeo. He at length gave up belles-lettres in order to devote himself entirely to the study of philosophy and' theology. He was ordained priest in 1567, and was appointed a little later secretary of the Sacred College. The popes Gregory XIII and Sixtus V confided to him several missions, which he performed successfully. Finally, Clement VIII made him canon of the basilica of the Vatican, and then cardinal, March 3, 1598. He died Aug. 15, 1603. He wrote, Dell' Educazione Cristiana de' Figliuoli Libri Tre (Verona, 1584; republished at Cremona, and then at Naples):-Ornationes Tredecim (published after his death [Rome, 1610] by Joseph Castiglione). His Life is found in this last work. See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.