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Muhammad II, Ottoman sultan

(Encyclopedia)Muhammad II or Mehmet II (Muhammad the Conqueror), 1429–81, Ottoman sultan (1451–81), son and successor of Murad II. He is considered the true founder of the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). He completed ...

Eumenes II

(Encyclopedia)Eumenes II, fl. 2d cent. b.c., son of Attalus I, king of Pergamum (197–159 b.c.). He managed to expand the wealth and prestige of his state by maintaining an allegiance with Rome for much of his rei...

Orestes, Roman general

(Encyclopedia)Orestes ōrĕstˈēz [key], d. 476, Roman general. With the help of barbarians he deposed (475) the Roman emperor of the West, Julius Nepos, and raised his own son, Romulus Augustulus, to the throne. ...

Severus (Lucius Septimius Severus), Roman emperor

(Encyclopedia)Severus or Septimius Severus (Lucius Septimius Severus) sĕptĭmˈēəs sēvēˈrəs [key], 146–211, Roman emperor (193–211), b. Africa. He was campaigning in Pannonia and Illyria when the emperor...

Severus (Flavius Valerius Severus), Roman emperor

(Encyclopedia)Severus (Flavius Valerius Severus), d. 307, Roman emperor (306–7). He participated with Galerius in an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Maxentius. Surrendering to Maximian (father of Maxentius) at ...

pragmatic sanction

(Encyclopedia)pragmatic sanction, decision of state dealing with a matter of great importance to a community or a whole state and having the force of fundamental law. The term originated in Roman law and was used o...

Charles I, emperor of Austria

(Encyclopedia)Charles I, 1887–1922, last emperor of Austria and, as Charles IV, king of Hungary (1916–18); son of Archduke Otto and grandnephew and successor of Emperor Francis Joseph. He married Zita of Bourbo...

Sigismund

(Encyclopedia)Sigismund sĭjˈĭsmənd, sĭgˈ– [key], 1368–1437, Holy Roman emperor (1433–37), German king (1410–37), king of Hungary (1387–1437) and of Bohemia (1419–37), elector of Brandenburg (1376�...