Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Amram ben Scheschna

(Encyclopedia)Amram ben Scheschna gäˈōn [key], d. c.875, Hebrew scholar, head of the Jewish academy at Sura in Persia. He is chiefly known as the author of the Seder Rab Amram, a compilation of the order of pray...

Iberia

(Encyclopedia)Iberia ībĭrˈēə [key], ancient country of Transcaucasia, roughly the eastern part of present-day Georgia. It was inhabited in earliest times by various tribes, collectively called Iberians by anci...

Selangor

(Encyclopedia)Selangor səlăngˈər [key], state (1991 pop. 2,289,236), 3,150 sq mi (8,159 sq km), Malaysia, S Malay Peninsula, on the Strait of Malacca. Shah Alam is the capital, and Port Kelang (formerly Port Sw...

Pelopidas

(Encyclopedia)Pelopidas pĭlŏpˈĭdəs [key], d. 364 b.c., Theban general. When the Spartans seized the citadel of Thebes (now Thívai) in 382, he fled to Athens and prepared the coup that recovered the city (379)...

Nekhtharheb

(Encyclopedia)Nekhtharheb nĕkht-härˈĕbˌ [key], Gr. Nectanebo II, reigned 359–343, king of ancient Egypt, of the XXX dynasty. With the support of Agesilaus II of Sparta, he overthrew Djedhor (or Tachos) while...

Pausanias, Spartan general

(Encyclopedia)Pausanias pôsāˈnēəs [key], d. c.470 b.c., Spartan general; nephew of King Leonidas. He was the victorious commander at Plataea (479) near Thebes in the Persian Wars and followed up the battle wit...

Croesus

(Encyclopedia)Croesus krēˈsəs [key], d. c.547 b.c., king of Lydia (560–c.547 b.c.), noted for his great wealth. He was the son of Alyattes. He continued his father's policy of conquering the Ionian cities of A...

Paskevich, Ivan Feodorovich

(Encyclopedia)Paskevich, Ivan Feodorovich ēvänˈ fyôˈdərəvĭch pəskyĕˈvĭch [key], 1782–1856, Russian army officer and administrator. He fought in the Napoleonic Wars, was created count of Erivan after c...

Kharga

(Encyclopedia)Kharga äl khärˈēnjä [key], large oasis (1986 pop. 38,544), S central Egypt, in the Libyan (Western) Desert. Populated chiefly by Arab Bedouins and Arab-speaking Berbers, the irrigated oasis produ...

Khosrow I

(Encyclopedia)Khosrow I (Khosrow Anüshirvan) khŏsrōˈ; ăno͞oshĭrvänˈ [key], d. 579, king of Persia (531–79), greatest of the Sassanid, or Sassanian, monarchs. He is also known as Chosroes I or Khosru I. H...

Browse by Subject