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Leuctra

(Encyclopedia)Leuctra lo͞okˈtrə [key], village of ancient Greece, in Boeotia, 7 mi (11.3 km) SW of Thebes. There the Spartans were defeated (371 b.c.) by the Thebans under Epaminondas. A brilliant tactical succe...

Suffren de Saint-Tropez, Pierre André de

(Encyclopedia)Suffren de Saint-Tropez, Pierre André de pyĕr äNdrāˈ də süfrĕnˈ də săN-trôpāˈ [key], 1726–88, French admiral. He participated in naval warfare in the War of the Austrian Succession and...

Niobe

(Encyclopedia)Niobe nīˈōbē [key], in Greek mythology, queen of Thebes, wife of Amphion and daughter of Tantalus. The mother of six sons and six daughters, she boasted of her fruitfulness, saying that Leto had o...

Punt

(Encyclopedia)Punt po͝ont [key], ancient land S of Egypt accessible by way of the Red Sea. Its exact location has not been identified, but it probably included the Somali coast. Temple reliefs at Deir el Bahari in...

Amphitryon

(Encyclopedia)Amphitryon ămfĭˈtrēən, –ŏnˌ [key], in Greek mythology, son of Alcaeus. While betrothed to Alcmene, he accidentally killed her father, Electryon. Alcmene and Amphitryon fled to Thebes, but she...

Mantinea

(Encyclopedia)Mantinea mănˌtĭnēˈə [key], city of ancient Greece, in E central Arcadia (now Arkadhía). In the Peloponnesian War a coalition led by Mantinea and Argos and urged on by Athens was defeated (418 b...

Sonderbund

(Encyclopedia)Sonderbund zônˈdərbo͝ont [key] [Ger.,=separate league], 1845–47, defensive league of seven Roman Catholic cantons of Switzerland; it was formed to protect Catholic interests and prevent the esta...

Periander

(Encyclopedia)Periander pĕrˈēănˌdər [key], d. 585 b.c., one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece, tyrant of Corinth. His rule raised his city to a high state of prosperity, and he established friendly relations wi...

Carnarvon, George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th earl of

(Encyclopedia)Carnarvon, George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th earl of kärnärˈvən [key], 1866–1923, English Egyptologist. With Howard Carter he excavated in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt, fro...

Aëdon

(Encyclopedia)Aëdon āēˈdən [key], in Greek legend, the wife of Zethus, king of Thebes. She had only one son, while her sister-in-law, Niobe, had many. Her jealousy increased until, in trying to murder Niobe's ...