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Sylvester I, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Sylvester I, Saint, pope (314–35), a Roman; successor of St. Miltiades (St. Melchiades). He was pope under the reign of Emperor Constantine I, who built for him the Lateran and other churches. St. S...

Verrius Flaccus, Marcus

(Encyclopedia)Verrius Flaccus, Marcus märˈkəs vĕrˈēəs flăkˈəs [key], fl. 20 b.c., Roman grammarian. A freedman, he was appointed by Augustus to educate his grandsons and died at an advanced age during the...

Watts, Isaac

(Encyclopedia)Watts, Isaac, 1674–1748, English clergyman and hymn writer, b. Southampton. He was one of the most eminent Dissenting divines of his day. As a pastor in London he was known for his sermons, but begi...

Serapis

(Encyclopedia)Serapis säräˈpĭs [key], Egyptian god whose devotees united the worship of the Apis bull and the god Osiris. His cult, which originated at Memphis, rose to its greatest significance at Alexandria d...

Baldwin III, Latin king of Jerusalem

(Encyclopedia)Baldwin III, 1130–62, Latin king of Jerusalem (1143–62), son and successor of Fulk. Until 1152 he ruled with his mother, Melisende. In his reign began the decay of Latin power in the East. Edessa ...

Samuel

(Encyclopedia)Samuel, two books of the Bible, originally a single work, called First and Second Samuel in modern Bibles, and First and Second Kingdoms in the Septuagint. They are considered part of “Deuteronomist...

Artaxerxes II

(Encyclopedia)Artaxerxes II, d. 358 b.c., king of ancient Persia (404–358 b.c.), son and successor of Darius II. He is sometimes called in Greek Artaxerxes Mnemon [the thoughtful]. Early in his reign Cyrus the Yo...

Ladislaus IV

(Encyclopedia)Ladislaus IV, 1262–90, king of Hungary (1272–90), son and successor of Stephen V. Ladislaus became unpopular by favoring the Cumans, from whom he was descended through his mother. During his reign...

Leptis

(Encyclopedia)Leptis lĕpˈtĭs [key], ancient city of Libya, E of Tripoli. It was founded (c.600 b.c.) by Phoenicians from Sidon. Annexed (46 b.c.) to the Roman province of Africa, it flourished as an important po...

Abulfazl

(Encyclopedia)Abulfazl äˈbo͞olfäˈzəl, əˈbo͞olfŭzˈəl [key], 1551–1602, minister of state and adviser to Akbar, Mughal emperor of India. His most renowned Persian text recounts the history of the Akbar ...