The R 2 Li 2 Si 3 compounds, with R=La, Ce, Pr, Nd and Sm, synthesized and structurally studied by powder and single crystal X-ray diffraction, belong to the Ce 2 Li 2 Ge 3 orthorhombic type. The magnetization and heat capacity data show the occurrence of normally trivalent cerium ions in Ce 2 Li 2 Si 3 ordering ferromagnetically at 17K. Pr 2 Li 2 Si 3 becomes antiferromagnetic at 18K, its isothermal magnetisation at 1.8K showing a field induced spin flip transition at 25kOe. For Nd 2 Li 2 Si 3 the transition to the antiferromagnetic state occurs at 9.5K. Two peaks are seen in the heat capacity data of Ce 2 Li 2 Si 3 and Nd 2 Li 2 Si 3 which can be attributed to either two symmetry inequivalent rare earth sublattices ordering at different temperatures or to spin re-orientation.