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Hollar, Václav

(Encyclopedia)Hollar, Václav or Wenzel vätsˈläf, vĕnˈtsəl hôlˈər [key], 1607–77, Bohemian etcher. He studied with Merian and after a period in Strasbourg and Cologne, he settled in England, working for ...

phalanx

(Encyclopedia)phalanx, ancient Greek formation of infantry. The soldiers were arrayed in rows (8 or 16), with arms at the ready, making a solid block that could sweep bristling through the more dispersed ranks of t...

Pasargadae

(Encyclopedia)Pasargadae pəsärˈgədē [key], capital of ancient Persia under Cyrus the Great. Its ruins lie 54 mi (87 km) by road NE of Persepolis, in present Iran. The buildings of Cyrus include a temple in the...

Yarmouth, town, England

(Encyclopedia)Yarmouth. 1 Town, Isle of Wight, S England. It is a small port and resort. The castle there was built by Henry VIII. 2 Officially Great Yarmouth, city (1991 pop. 54,777) and district, Norfolk, E Engla...

Burnet, William, 1688–1729, English colonial governor in America

(Encyclopedia)Burnet, William, 1688–1729, English colonial governor in America; son of Gilbert Burnet. As governor of New York and New Jersey (1720–28), he advocated extending the trade with Native Americans, t...

American Fur Company

(Encyclopedia)American Fur Company, chartered by John Jacob Astor (1763–1848) in 1808 to compete with the great fur-trading companies in Canada—the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company. Astor's most ...

Saint Paul's Cathedral

(Encyclopedia)Saint Paul's Cathedral, London, masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren and one of the finest church designs of the English baroque. It stands at the head of Ludgate Hill, where, according to tradition, a...

Ganymede, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Ganymede, in Greek mythology, a youth of great beauty. He was carried off by Zeus to be cupbearer to the gods.

Fathers of the Church

(Encyclopedia)Fathers of the Church, collective name for the Christian writers of early times whose work is considered generally orthodox. A convenient definition includes all such writers up to and including St. G...

Sancho III, king of Navarre

(Encyclopedia)Sancho III or Sancho the Great sänˈchō [key], c.970–1035, king of Navarre (1000–1035). Having inherited the kingdom of Navarre, which included Aragón, he launched an annexation campaign that m...