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Pelopidas

(Encyclopedia)Pelopidas pĭlŏpˈĭdəs [key], d. 364 b.c., Theban general. When the Spartans seized the citadel of Thebes (now Thívai) in 382, he fled to Athens and prepared the coup that recovered the city (379)...

Merneptah

(Encyclopedia)Merneptah mĕrnĕpˈtä [key], d. c.1215 b.c., king of ancient Egypt, of the XIX dynasty; son and successor of Ramses II. He succeeded (1224 b.c.) to the throne when he was already advanced in years. ...

mummy

(Encyclopedia)mummy, dead human or animal body preserved by embalming or by unusual natural conditions. As a rule mummies are from ancient times. The word is of Arabic derivation and refers primarily to the burials...

Faiyum, El

(Encyclopedia)Faiyum, El fīyo͞omˈ [key], region, coextensive with El Faiyum governorate, N Egypt, W of the Nile River, a depression (entirely below sea level) in the Libyan (or Western) Desert. It is an irrigat...

bey

(Encyclopedia)bey bā [key], general title of respect used by Turkish peoples since ancient times. Originally given to tribal leaders, it was later used by the Ottomans to denote a provincial ruler. At first the Ot...

magic square

(Encyclopedia)magic square, a square divided into parts with letters or numbers inscribed therein that, whether combined vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, form the same sum or the same word. In ancient times...

clepsydra

(Encyclopedia)clepsydra klĕpˈsĭdrə [key] or water clock, ancient device for measuring time by means of the flow of water from a container. A simple form of clepsydra was an earthenware vessel with a small openi...

Amenemhet IV

(Encyclopedia)Amenemhet IV äˌmĕnĕmˈhĕt, āˌ– [key], d. 1792 b.c., king of ancient Egypt, of the XII dynasty; the son and successor of Amenemhet III. Under Amenemhet IV, the power of the dynasty declined, a...

Ptolemy V

(Encyclopedia)Ptolemy V (Ptolemy Epiphanes) ĭpĭfˈənēz [key], d. 180 b.c., king of ancient Egypt (205–180 b.c.), of the Macedonian dynasty, son of Ptolemy IV. He succeeded to the throne as a small boy, and hi...

encaustic

(Encyclopedia)encaustic, painting medium in which the binder for the pigment is wax or wax and resin. Examples of encaustic tomb portraits from Roman Egypt bear witness to the durability of the medium, which is tho...