Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Onassis, Aristotle Socrates

(Encyclopedia)Onassis, Aristotle Socrates ârˌĭstŏtˈəl sŏkˈrətēz ōnăsˈĭs [key], 1906?–75, Greek shipowner and financier, b. Turkey. Leaving Turkey after the Turkish defeat of Greek forces at Smyrna (...

Heiden, Eric

(Encyclopedia)Heiden, Eric hīˈdən [key], 1958–, American speed skater, b. Madison, Wis. After competing in the 1976 Winter Olympics, he won three consecutive World Speedskating Championships (1977–79). In 19...

Dura, ancient city, Syria

(Encyclopedia)Dura yo͝orōˈpəs [key], ancient city of Syria, E of Palmyra on a plateau above the Euphrates River. It is also called Dura-Europos or Dura-Europus. Founded (c.300 b.c.) by a general of Seleucus I, ...

Heliopolis, ancient city, Egypt

(Encyclopedia)Heliopolis hēlēŏpˈəlĭs [key] [Gr.,=city of the sun], ancient city, N Egypt, in the Nile delta, 6 mi (10 km) below modern Cairo. It was noted as the center of sun worship, and its god Ra or Re wa...

Heliopolis, ancient city, Syria

(Encyclopedia)Heliopolis, Syria: see Baalbek.

Haran, ancient city, Mesopotamia

(Encyclopedia)Haran or Harran both: häränˈ [key], ancient city of Mesopotamia, now in SE Asian Turkey, 24 mi (39 km) SE of Şanlıurfa. It was an important center on the trade route from Nineveh to Carchemish an...

Kadesh, oasis, ancient Palestine

(Encyclopedia)Kadesh –bärnēˈə [key], oasis in the desert S of ancient Palestine, mentioned frequently in the Bible, notably as a limit of Edom. Another biblical name is En-mishpat. ...

Magnesia, ancient cities, Lydia

(Encyclopedia)Magnesia măgnēˈzhə [key], two ancient cities of Lydia, W Asia Minor (now W Turkey). They were colonies of the Magnetes, a tribe of E Thessaly. One city (Magnesia ad Maeandrum), SE of Smyrna (Izmir...

Lydia, ancient country, Asia

(Encyclopedia)Lydia, ancient country, W Asia Minor, N of Caria and S of Mysia (now NW Turkey). The tyrant Gyges was the founder of the Mermnadae dynasty, which lasted from c.700 b.c. to 550 b.c. The little kingdom ...

Mari, ancient city, Mesopotamia

(Encyclopedia)Mari mäˈrē [key], ancient city of Mesopotamia (modern Syria). It is on the middle Euphrates, south of its junction with the Habor (Khabur). The site was discovered by chance in the early 1930s by A...