Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Pylos

(Encyclopedia)Pylos pīˈlŏs [key], ancient harbor, Messenia, SW Greece, on a bay of the Ionian Sea. Excavations have revealed a great Mycenaean palace of the 13th cent. b.c., perhaps the dwelling of King Nestor. ...

Persian Wars

(Encyclopedia)Persian Wars, 500 b.c.–449 b.c., series of conflicts fought between Greek states and the Persian Empire. The writings of Herodotus, who was born c.484 b.c., are the great source of knowledge of the ...

Harmodius and Aristogiton

(Encyclopedia)Harmodius and Aristogiton härmōˈdēəs, ârˌĭstōjīˈtən [key], d. c.514 b.c., Athenian tyrannicides. Provoked by a personal quarrel, the two friends planned to assassinate Hipparchus and his b...

Dion of Syracuse

(Encyclopedia)Dion of Syracuse dīˈən [key], 409?–354? b.c., Sicilian Greek political leader, brother-in-law of Dionysius the Elder, tyrant of Syracuse. He became interested in philosophy through his acquaintan...

Demetrius Phalereus

(Encyclopedia)Demetrius Phalereus fəlērˈo͞os, fəlērˈēəs [key] [Lat.,=of Phalerum], d. c.280 b.c., Athenian orator. One of the first Peripatetics, he wrote extensively in history, rhetoric, and literary cri...

Eudocia

(Encyclopedia)Eudocia yo͞odōˈshə [key], d. 460, Roman empress of the East; daughter of an Athenian Sophist. She was selected by Pulcheria as the wife of Theodosius II, whom she married (421) after being baptize...

Asclepius

(Encyclopedia)Asclepius ĕsˌkəlāˈpēəs [key], legendary Greek physician; son of Apollo and Coronis. His first teacher was the wise centaur Chiron. When he became so skillful in healing that he could revive the...

Cleomenes I

(Encyclopedia)Cleomenes I klēŏmˈĭnēz [key], d. c.489 b.c., king of Sparta after 518 b.c. In accordance with Sparta's policy of helping oligarchies in other states at the expense of the tyrants or the people, C...

Browse by Subject