Acarnania
A district of NW Greece, bounded by the Lonian Sea, the gulf of Ambracia, and the Acheloüs river. The district is divided into three main regions: (1) a rugged coast ...
Aelius Tubero, Quintus
(RE 156)son of Lucius (above), accompanied his father 49–48 bc and fought at Pharsalus, but was pardoned by Caesar. In 46 he prosecuted Q. Ligarius (whom Cicero successfully defended) ...
Aetolia
A region in west-central Greece roughly shaped like a triangle with its base on the Corinthian Gulf, its apex at Mt. Tymphrestus, and its sides along the lower and middle ...
Agatharchides
Of Cnidus (c.215 to after 145 bc). Greek historian, geographer, and Peripatetic who lived most of his adult life in Alexandria (1), eventually leaving, perhaps in flight to Athens after ...
Alcidas
Spartan commander in the early part of the Peloponnesian War, failed to help Mytilene in its revolt from Athens 428–7 and treated prisoners brutally (Thucydides 3. 17, 29–33) so creating ...
alliance (Greek)
An agreement between states to fight together against a common enemy. Such alliances might be made either for a limited period or for all time. In a full offensive and defensive alliance it was ...
Ammianus Marcellinus
[Na]One of the last great Roman historians. Originally from Antioch, born c.ad 330, he served in the army and settled in Rome c.ad 378. His History, written in Latin for a Roman audience, spanned the ...
anarchism
The doctrine associated with Godwin, Bakunin, Proudhon, and others, that human communities can and should flourish without government. Voluntary cooperation should replace the coercive machinery of ...
anatomy
The study of the structure of living organisms, especially of their internal parts by means of dissection and microscopical examination. Compare morphology.
ancient scholarship
GreekIn one sense of the term, scholarship began when literature became a central element of education and the prescribed texts had to be explained and interpreted to pupils in a class. An early ...
Antiochus (10)
Of Syracuse, probably the oldest of the western Greek historians (see historiography, Greek), active in the 5th cent. bc, after Herodotus (1) but before Thucydides (2). He wrote: 1. Sicelica ...
Antiphon
(c.480–411 bc),of the deme of Rhamnus, the first Attic orator whose works were preserved. From a prominent family, he participated in the intellectual movement inspired by the sophists, taking a ...
Archidamian War
Is the name given to the first decade (431–421 bc) of the main Peloponnesian War. The name derives from King Archidamus II of Sparta, who had, however, opposed the war. ...
Aristogiton
Athenian tyrannicide. He and Harmodius, both of the family of Gephyraei, provoked, acc. to Thucydides (2), by amorous rivalry, plotted along with others to kill Hippias (1) at the Panathenaic ...
Arrian
c. ad 86–160.Born in Nicomedia, he held local office and pursued studies with Epictetus, whose lectures he later published. In Greece between 108 and 112 he attracted the friendship of Hadrian, who ...
Asianism
The Greek orators of Asia Minor during the Hellenistic period developed a new style of oratory, marked by wordplay, emotional effect, bombast, and rhythm; some idea of it can be ...
astronomy
Until 1582, the need for Calendar reform was a significant spur to astronomy. Astronomers' reactions to the publication of the Copernican theory (1543) were at first rather friendly (see Rheticus ...
Athenian democracy
A form of popular government established in Athens by Cleisthenes (died 508 bc) in the last decade of the 6th century bc. The principal organ of democracy was the popular assembly (ekklesia), which ...
Athens
The capital of Greece, originally a flourishing city state of ancient Greece, which was an important cultural centre in the 5th century bc.Athens of America Boston.Athens of the North Edinburgh.
balance of power
Probably the oldest concept in the study of International Relations going back at least to the work of Thucydides. It is closely associated with both diplomatic parlance and realist theory. Its logic ...
