acetone (CH3COCH3), organic solvent of industrial and chemical significance, the simplest and most important of the aliphatic (fat-derived) ketones. Pure acetone is a colourless, somewhat aromatic, flammable, mobile liquid that boils at 56.2 °C (133 °F). Acetone is capable of dissolving many fats

carboxylic acid: Nomenclature: Thus, CH3CN is acetonitrile (from acetic acid), whereas C6H5CN is benzonitrile (from benzoic acid).

acetaminophen: …major metabolite of acetanilid and phenacetin, which were once commonly used drugs, and is responsible for their analgesic (pain-relieving) effects. Acetaminophen relieves pain by raising the body’s pain threshold, and it reduces fever by its action on the temperature-regulating centre of the brain. The drug inhibits prostaglandin synthesis in the…

acetophenone (C6H5COCH3), an organic compound used as an ingredient in perfumes and as a chemical intermediate in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, resins, flavouring agents, and a form of tear gas. It also has been used as a drug to induce sleep. The compound can be synthesized from benzene and

bacteria: Autotrophic metabolism: …tricarboxylic acid cycle, and the acetyl-CoA pathway. The Calvin cycle, elucidated by American biochemist Melvin Calvin, is the most widely distributed of these pathways, operating in plants, algae, photosynthetic bacteria, and most aerobic lithoautotrophic bacteria. The key step in the Calvin cycle is the reaction of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate with carbon…

metabolism: Fatty acids: …carboxylation reaction is catalyzed by acetyl CoA carboxylase, an enzyme whose prosthetic group is the vitamin biotin. The biotin–enzyme first undergoes a reaction that results in the attachment of carbon dioxide to biotin; ATP is required and forms ADP and inorganic phosphate (step [62a]).

metabolism: Fatty acids: …and [63b] are known as acetyl transacylase and malonyl transacylase, respectively. Acetyl-ACP and malonyl-ACP react in a reaction catalyzed by β-ketoacyl-ACP synthetase so that the acetyl moiety (CH3CO―) is transferred to the malonyl moiety (−OOCH2CO―). Simultaneously, the carbon dioxide fixed in step [62] is lost, leaving as a product a…

bacteria: Autotrophic metabolism: …tricarboxylic acid cycle, and the acetyl-CoA pathway. The Calvin cycle, elucidated by American biochemist Melvin Calvin, is the most widely distributed of these pathways, operating in plants, algae, photosynthetic bacteria, and most aerobic lithoautotrophic bacteria. The key step in the Calvin cycle is the reaction of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate with carbon…

metabolism: Fatty acids: …steps [63a] and [63b] are acetyl-S-ACP, malonyl-S-ACP, and coenzyme A. The enzymes catalyzing steps [63a] and [63b] are known as acetyl transacylase and malonyl transacylase, respectively. Acetyl-ACP and malonyl-ACP react in a reaction catalyzed by β-ketoacyl-ACP synthetase so that the acetyl moiety (CH3CO―) is transferred to the malonyl moiety (−OOCH

acetanilide, synthetic organic compound introduced in therapy in 1886 as a fever-reducing drug. Its effectiveness in relieving pain was discovered soon thereafter, and it was used as an alternative to aspirin for many years in treating such common complaints as headache, menstrual cramps, and

poison: Biotransformation: Two types of conjugations, acetylations and methylation, do not enhance the excretion of the parent chemical. Acetylation and methylation decrease the water solubility of the parent chemical and mask the functional group of the parent chemical, preventing these functional groups from participating in conjugations that increase their excretion. Acetylation…

alcohol consumption: Processing in the liver: …aldehyde dehydrogenase, and converted to acetate, most of which enters the bloodstream and is ultimately oxidized to carbon dioxide and water. Considerable utilizable energy—200 calories per ounce of alcohol (about 7.1 calories per gram)—is made available to the body during these processes, and in this sense alcohol serves as a…

acetylcholine, an ester of choline and acetic acid that serves as a neurotransmitter within the central and peripheral nervous systems. Acetylcholine is the chief neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of the autonomic nervous system (a branch of the peripheral nervous

muscle: Acetylcholine receptors: Acetylcholine receptors are ion channels that span the postsynaptic membrane, and they have extracellular, intramembranous, and cytoplasmic portions. They are located principally over the peaks of the postsynaptic folds, where they are present at high density. They consist of five subunits arranged around…

acetylcholine: Actions and breakdown: …rapidly destroyed by the enzyme acetylcholinesterase and thus is effective only briefly. Inhibitors of the enzyme (drugs known as anticholinesterases) prolong the lifetime of acetylcholine. Such agents include physostigmine and neostigmine, which are used to help augment muscle contraction in certain gastrointestinal conditions and in myasthenia gravis. Other acetylcholinesterases have…

anticholinesterase, any of several drugs that prevent destruction of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine by the enzyme acetylcholinesterase within the nervous system. Acetylcholine acts to transmit nerve impulses within the parasympathetic nervous system—i.e., that part of the autonomic nervous

acetylene, the simplest and best-known member of the hydrocarbon series containing one or more pairs of carbon atoms linked by triple bonds, called the acetylenic series, or alkynes. It is a colourless flammable gas widely used as a fuel in oxyacetylene welding and the cutting of metals and as raw

tetrachloroethane: One isomer, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, also called acetylene tetrachloride, is highly toxic. Almost the entire production of the compound is consumed in manufacturing chlorinated solvents, especially trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene; it has minor uses as a solvent and as an insecticide, particularly against the greenhouse white fly. It is made…

welding: By 1916 the oxyacetylene process was well developed, and the welding techniques employed then are still used. The main improvements since then have been in equipment and safety. Arc welding, using a consumable electrode, was also introduced in this period, but the bare wires initially used produced brittle…

acetylene: The acetylides of silver, copper, mercury, and gold are detonated by heat, friction, or shock. In addition to its reactive hydrogen atom, the carbon–carbon triple bond can readily add halogens, halogen acids, hydrogen cyanide, alcohols, amines, and amides. Acetylene can also add to itself or to…

aspirin, derivative of salicylic acid that is a mild nonnarcotic analgesic (pain reliever) useful in the relief of headache and muscle and joint aches. Aspirin is effective in reducing fever, inflammation, and swelling and thus has been used for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic fever,

Eduardo Acevedo Díaz was a writer and politician, considered as Uruguay’s first novelist. Acevedo Díaz attended the University of Montevideo, where he first became active in politics. He took part in the Revolución Blanca (1870–72) and the Revolución Tricolor (1885), supporting the cause of the

acey-deucey, dice board game, a variant of backgammon, much played in the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and merchant marine. For the basic play of the game, see backgammon. Acey-deucey differs from standard backgammon in that all pieces begin off the board. Each player must enter all 15 pieces before

money: Electronic money: The automated clearinghouse (ACH) is the third alternative means of making deposits and paying bills. ACH networks transfer existing deposit balances, avoid the use of checks, and speed payments and settlement. In addition, many large payments (such as those to settle securities or foreign exchange transactions…

acetylcholine, an ester of choline and acetic acid that serves as a neurotransmitter within the central and peripheral nervous systems. Acetylcholine is the chief neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of the autonomic nervous system (a branch of the peripheral nervous

Ahab was the seventh king of the northern kingdom of Israel (reigned 874–c. 853 bce), according to the Bible, and son of King Omri. Omri left to Ahab an empire that comprised not only territory east of the Jordan River, in Gilead and probably Bashan, but also the land of Moab, whose king was

Achaea, perifereiakí enótita (regional unit) and historic region of Greece on the north coast of the Peloponnese (Modern Greek: Pelopónnisos), south of the Gulf of Corinth (Korinthiakós). In ancient times it was bounded on the west by Elis (modern Ilía), on the south by Mount Erymanthus and Arcadia

Achaean, any of the ancient Greek people, identified in Homer, along with the Danaoi and the Argeioi, as the Greeks who besieged Troy. Their area as described by Homer—the mainland and western isles of Greece, Crete, Rhodes, and adjacent isles, except the Cyclades—is precisely that covered by the

Achaean League, 3rd-century-bc confederation of the towns of Achaea in ancient Greece. The 12 Achaean cities of the northern Peloponnese had organized a league by the 4th century bc to protect themselves against piratical raids from across the Corinthian Gulf, but this league fell apart after the

Achaean League, 3rd-century-bc confederation of the towns of Achaea in ancient Greece. The 12 Achaean cities of the northern Peloponnese had organized a league by the 4th century bc to protect themselves against piratical raids from across the Corinthian Gulf, but this league fell apart after the

Achaemenes was the eponymous ancestor of the Persian Achaemenid dynasty; he was the father of Teispes (Chishpish) and an ancestor of Cyrus II the Great and Darius I the Great. Although Achaemenes probably ruled only Parsumash, a vassal state of the kingdom of Media, many scholars believe that he

Achaemenes was the son of the Achaemenid king Darius I of Persia. After the first rebellion of Egypt (484), Achaemenes was appointed satrap (governor) of Egypt by his brother Xerxes I; he also commanded the Egyptian contingent of the Achaemenid fleet defeated by the Greeks at the Battle of Salamis

Achaemenian Dynasty, (559–330 bce), ancient Iranian dynasty whose kings founded and ruled the Achaemenian Empire. Achaemenes (Persian Hakhamanish), the Achaemenians’ eponymous ancestor, is presumed to have lived early in the 7th century bce, but little is known of his life. From his son Teispes two

Achaemenian Dynasty, (559–330 bce), ancient Iranian dynasty whose kings founded and ruled the Achaemenian Empire. Achaemenes (Persian Hakhamanish), the Achaemenians’ eponymous ancestor, is presumed to have lived early in the 7th century bce, but little is known of his life. From his son Teispes two

Achaemenid dynasty, in ancient Egypt, the 27th dynasty (525–404 bce), established after Egypt was conquered by the Persian Achaemenian Empire and the latter empire’s ruler, Cambyses II, had himself crowned as pharaoh. The policy of the Achaemenid kings seems to have been conciliatory to national

Antiochus III the Great: …administration Hermias as chief minister, Achaeus as governor of Asia Minor, and Molon and his brother Alexander as governors of the eastern provinces, Media and Persis. In the following year, when Molon rebelled and assumed the title of king, Antiochus abandoned a campaign against Egypt for the conquest of southern…

Achagua, South American Indian people of Venezuela and eastern Colombia. They speak a language of the Maipurean Arawakan group. Traditionally, the Achagua had typical tropical-forest economies, living in large villages and growing bitter cassava and other crops. The Achagua were warlike; they were

Achaea, perifereiakí enótita (regional unit) and historic region of Greece on the north coast of the Peloponnese (Modern Greek: Pelopónnisos), south of the Gulf of Corinth (Korinthiakós). In ancient times it was bounded on the west by Elis (modern Ilía), on the south by Mount Erymanthus and Arcadia

Achaean, any of the ancient Greek people, identified in Homer, along with the Danaoi and the Argeioi, as the Greeks who besieged Troy. Their area as described by Homer—the mainland and western isles of Greece, Crete, Rhodes, and adjacent isles, except the Cyclades—is precisely that covered by the

The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle: …end of the 8th century Achaius, King of Scots, founded a chivalric order and introduced the veneration of St. Andrew into Scotland, but few scholars accept this. More probable is that the Order of the Thistle relates to an order founded by King David I of Scots in the 12th…

esophagus: …gastric juices in the esophagus; achalasia, an inability to swallow or to pass food from the esophagus to the stomach, caused by destruction of the nerve endings in the walls of the esophagus; scleroderma, a collagen disease; and spasms of the esophageal muscles.

origins of agriculture: The sugar beet: Some 50 years later Franz Karl Achard, son of a French refugee in Prussia and student of Marggraf, improved the Silesian stock beet—probably a mangel-wurzel—as a source of sugar. He erected the first pilot beet-sugar factory at Cunern, Silesia (now in Poland), in 1802. Thus began the new use…

Malpighiales: Achariaceae: Achariaceae contains 30 genera and 145 species of shrubs to trees, or rarely climbing herbs, which are scattered throughout the tropics. The Indo-Malesian Hydnocarpus (40 species) is the largest genus in the family. Ryparosa (18 species) is Malesian, and Lindackeria (14 species) grows in…

Acharnians, earliest of the extant comedies of Aristophanes, produced in 425 bce. It is a forthright attack on the folly of war. Its farmer-hero, Dicaeopolis, is tired of the Peloponnesian War and therefore secures a private peace treaty with the Spartans for himself in spite of the violent

Acharnians, earliest of the extant comedies of Aristophanes, produced in 425 bce. It is a forthright attack on the folly of war. Its farmer-hero, Dicaeopolis, is tired of the Peloponnesian War and therefore secures a private peace treaty with the Spartans for himself in spite of the violent

Indian philosophy: Ramanuja: …their commentators known as the Acharyas, who sought to combine knowledge with action (karma) as the right means to liberation. There is also, besides the Vedic tradition, the religious tradition of Agamas, particularly of the Pancharatra literature. It is within this old tradition that Ramanuja’s philosophical and religious thought developed.

Indian Botanic Garden, botanical garden in Haora (Howrah), West Bengal, India, famous for its enormous collections of orchids, bamboos, palms, and plants of the screw pine genus (Pandanus). In 2009 it was renamed to honour Indian plant physiologist and physicist Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose. It is

gastropod: Importance to humans: In some places, introductions of Achatina and Helix have resulted in damage to crops and gardens by these rapidly multiplying snails. On the other hand, habitat degradation, the introduction of predatory rats and land snails, and shell collecting by humans have caused the extinction of about 50 percent of all…

gastropod: Size range and diversity of structure: …largest land snail, the African Achatina achatina, forms a shell that is almost 20 centimetres (eight inches) long. The largest freshwater snails, Pomacea from South America, reach nearly 10 centimetres in diameter, and the largest marine snail, the Australian Syrinx aruanus, occasionally grows to more than 0.6 metre (two feet).…

conservation: Pacific island birds: an African land snail, Achatina fulica, for food. It became a pest. So, like the song about the old woman who swallowed a fly, and then a spider to catch it, and so forth, a predatory snail, Euglandina rosea, was released to control the Achatina. The predatory snail preferred…

gastropod: Classification: Superfamily Achatinacea Besides the giant African snail, 4 families, including many species spread by commerce throughout the world. Superfamilies Streptaxacea and Rhytidacea Carnivorous snails and slugs (4 families) in most tropical areas, plus the herbivorous Acavidae of Australia, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar.

gastropod: Classification: Superfamily Achatinellacea Minute to medium-sized Pacific land snails with multicuspid radular denticles; many Hawaiian species highly coloured and variable. Superfamilies Cionellacea and Pupillacea Minute leaf-litter to arboreal snails, occasionally (Enidae) large; shells often with denticles in the aperture; 10 families.

Grant Achatz is an American chef whose culinary innovations made him a leader in the cuisine inspired by molecular gastronomy. Achatz grew up in a small town in eastern Michigan, where he worked at his parents’ family restaurant. After graduating in 1994 from the Culinary Institute of America in

Ahaz was a king of Judah (c. 735–720 bc) who became an Assyrian vassal (2 Kings 16; Isaiah 7–8). Ahaz assumed the throne of Judah at the age of 20 or 25. Sometime later his kingdom was invaded by Pekah, king of Israel, and Rezin, king of Syria, in an effort to force him into an alliance with them

Akhḍar Mountains, mountain range of northeastern Libya that extends along the Mediterranean coast for about 100 miles (160 km) in an east-northeasterly direction between the towns of al-Marj and Darnah. Rising sharply in two steps, the first reaching 985 feet (300 m) and the second about 1,800 feet

Aché, nomadic South American Indian people living in eastern Paraguay. The Aché speak a Tupian dialect of the Tupi-Guaranian language family. They live in the densely forested, hilly region between the Paraguay and Paraná rivers. In pre-Spanish times, the Aché lived a more settled, agricultural

Ignatius Kutu Acheampong was a Ghanaian army officer, who, after leading a military revolt that overthrew the government of Kofi Busia, became Ghana’s chief of state in 1972. In July 1978 he was forced to resign, and the following June he and his successor, Lieut. Gen. F.W.K. Akuffo, were executed

Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian novelist acclaimed for his unsentimental depictions of the social and psychological disorientation accompanying the imposition of Western customs and values upon traditional African society. His particular concern was with emergent Africa at its moments of crisis; his

Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian novelist acclaimed for his unsentimental depictions of the social and psychological disorientation accompanying the imposition of Western customs and values upon traditional African society. His particular concern was with emergent Africa at its moments of crisis; his

Aceh, autonomous daerah istimewa (special district) of Indonesia, with the status of propinsi (or provinsi; province), forming the northern extremity of the island of Sumatra. Aceh is surrounded by water on three sides: the Indian Ocean to the west and north and the Strait of Malacca to the east.

Western architecture: Second period, after 313 ce: … in Constantinople (463) and the church of the Acheiropoietos at Thessalonica (470) were basilicas with tribunes and narthexes, which, in their proportions, approached those of centrally planned structures. The large central aisle, inaccessible to the faithful, was reserved for the service of the eucharist, the side aisles for the men,…

Achelous, shape-shifting Greek river god who was the personification of the Achelous River, one of the longest rivers in Greece. Achelous, who was worshipped as the god of fresh water, was chief among his 3,000 brothers, and all springs, rivers, and oceans were believed to issue from him. His

Achelous River, one of the longest rivers in Greece, rising in the Pindus (Modern Greek: Píndos) Mountains of central Epirus (Ípeiros) and dividing Aetolia from Acarnania. It empties into the Ionian Sea (Ióvio Pélagos) after a course of 140 miles (220 km), mostly through gorges. Well above Agrínion

Achelousaurus, (Achelousaurus horneri), herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaur that lived between 83 million and 70 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period (100.5 million to 66 million years ago) in Montana. The genus Achelousaurus is named for the ancient Greek shape-shifting river god,

Bavarian Alps: …road and railway and at Achen Pass (3,087 feet [941 metres]) by road. Tourism and winter sports are the region’s main activities. A large national park preserves the original Alpine landscape, plants, and animals from the steady encroachment of urbanization.

Andreas Achenbach was a landscape painter, a pioneer of the German realist school. He studied at the Düsseldorf academy under Johann Wilhelm Schirmer but emancipated himself from the contemporary school of landscapists that delighted in the representation of Romantic scenery. He was the first

Oswald Achenbach was a landscape painter of the Düsseldorf school who is distinguished for his colourful renderings of the Bay of Naples, of Rome, and of Venice. He broke away from the traditional classicist interpretation of these scenes and revelled in strong and glowing colour effects. His more

achene, dry, one-seeded fruit lacking special seams that split to release the seed. The seed coat is attached to the thin, dry ovary wall (husk) by a short stalk, so that the seed is easily freed from the husk, as in buckwheat. The fruits of many plants in the buttercup family and the rose family

Acheng, former city, central Heilongjiang sheng (province), far northeastern China. In 2006 it was incorporated into the city of Harbin, and it became a southeastern district of that city. It was originally named Ashihe, for the Ashi River that flows through the eastern part of the city. Acheng was

Achernar, brightest star in the constellation Eridanus and the ninth brightest star in the sky. Achernar (Arabic for “end of the river”) is 144 light-years from Earth. It is a binary star with a B-type star, Achernar A, as its primary and a much fainter A-type star, Achernar B, orbiting the primary

Acheron, river in Thesprotía in Epirus, Greece, that was thought in ancient times to go to Hades because it flowed through dark gorges and went underground in several places; an oracle of the dead was located on its bank. In Greek mythology it is a river in Hades, and the name sometimes refers to

Styx, in Greek mythology, one of the rivers of the underworld. The word styx literally means “shuddering” and expresses loathing of death. In Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, the gods swear by the water of the Styx as their most binding oath. According to Hesiod’s Theogony, if a god perjured himself, he

hawk moth: …common name for Acherontia atropos, death’s head moth, derives from the fancied facsimile of a human skull on the upper surface of the body. Common in Europe and Africa, these moths have a short proboscis and often feed on honey from beehives. They produce loud chirping or squeaking sounds by…

Lake of Fusaro, coastal lagoon in Napoli provincia, Campania regione, southern Italy, west of Naples. The lagoon is separated from the sea on the west by sand dunes. As the ancient Palus Acherusia (“Acherusian Swamp”), it may have been the harbour of nearby Cumae in antiquity. In the first century

canon law: Development of canon law in the West: …its 17th-century publisher, French scholar Jean-Luc d’Achéry)—the principal source of the collections before 850—which was of influence until the Gregorian Reform in the 11th century.

refractory: Silicon carbide: In the Acheson process, pure silica sand and finely divided carbon (coke) are reacted in an electric furnace at temperatures in the range of 2,200°–2,480° C (4,000°–4,500° F). SiC ceramics have outstanding high-temperature load-bearing strength and dimensional stability. They also exhibit great thermal shock resistance because of…

Archibald Acheson, 2nd earl of Gosford was the governor-in-chief of British North America in 1835–37, who alienated English- and French-speaking colonists in Canada. Acheson entered politics in 1798 as member for Armagh in the Irish Parliament. After the union of Great Britain and Ireland (1800),

Dean Acheson was the U.S. secretary of state (1949–53) and adviser to four presidents. He became the principal creator of U.S. foreign policy in the Cold War period following World War II; he helped to create the Western alliance in opposition to the Soviet Union and other communist nations. A

Dean Acheson was the U.S. secretary of state (1949–53) and adviser to four presidents. He became the principal creator of U.S. foreign policy in the Cold War period following World War II; he helped to create the Western alliance in opposition to the Soviet Union and other communist nations. A

Edward Goodrich Acheson was an American inventor who discovered the abrasive Carborundum and perfected a method for making graphite. Acheson joined inventor Thomas A. Edison’s staff in 1880 and helped to develop the incandescent lamp at Edison’s laboratories at Menlo Park, N.J. In 1881 he installed

Lila Bell Acheson was an American publisher and philanthropist who, with her husband, DeWitt Wallace, created and published Reader’s Digest, one of the most widely circulated magazines in the world. Acheson, who was the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, grew up in small towns in the Midwest

20th-century international relations: Atomic energy: The resulting (Dean) Acheson–(David) Lilienthal Report called for a UN authority to survey and control all uranium deposits and ensure that atomic research was conducted for peaceful purposes only. Once controls were in place, the United States would relinquish its arsenal and scientific information to the world…

cricket: …cricket (genus Gryllus) and the house cricket (Acheta, formerly Gryllus, domesticus) of the subfamily Gryllinae are stout-bodied and black or brown and often dig shallow burrows. They may feed on plants, animals, clothes, and each other. The field cricket (also called the black cricket) is common in fields and yards…

Acheulean industry, first standardized tradition of toolmaking of Homo erectus and early Homo sapiens. Named for the type site, Saint-Acheul, in Somme département, northern France, Acheulean tools were made of stone with good fracture characteristics, including chalcedony, jasper, and flint; in

Acheulean industry, first standardized tradition of toolmaking of Homo erectus and early Homo sapiens. Named for the type site, Saint-Acheul, in Somme département, northern France, Acheulean tools were made of stone with good fracture characteristics, including chalcedony, jasper, and flint; in

K’iche’ language: Achi’ is officially recognized as a separate language and is usually considered by linguists to be a dialect of K’iche’.

heraldry: The achievement: The term achievement, properly armorial achievement, means the whole display showing shield, helmet, crest, mantling, wreath, and, if appropriate, additaments such as a motto and supporters. In addition, an achievement may include representations of various knightly orders or companionships of knightly orders to which…

motivation: Expectancy-value theory: Achievement was initially recognized as an important source of human motivation by the American psychologist Henry Murray in the late 1930s. Although Murray identified achievement motivation as important to the behaviour of many people, it was the American psychologists David McClelland and John Atkinson who…

W. Jackson Bate: In 1955 The Achievement of Samuel Johnson was awarded the Gauss Prize for literary history and criticism. Samuel Johnson (1977), a colourful account of Johnson’s personality and a vivid portrayal of the times in which he lived, won the acclaim of scholars and critics and was awarded…

psychological testing: …it may be called an achievement test. In such settings as guidance offices, mental-health clinics, and psychiatric hospitals, tests of ability and personality may be helpful in the diagnosis and detection of troublesome behaviour. Industry and government alike have been prodigious users of tests for selecting workers. Research workers often…

Augustus: Expansion of the empire of Augustus: …“Res Gestae Divi Augusti” (“Achievements of the Divine Augustus”). The best-preserved copy of the latter document is on the walls of the Temple of Rome and Augustus at Ankara, Turkey (the Monumentum Ancyranum). In 14 ce Tiberius was due to leave for Illyricum but was recalled by the news…

Achill Island, mountainous island off the west coast of Ireland. It is part of County Mayo, joined to the mainland by a bridge across Achill Sound. The island is Ireland’s largest, with an area of 56 square miles (145 square km), and its highest points are the quartzite peaks of Slieve Croaghaun

Arsinoe IV: …the Egyptian army headed by Achillas. Following a feud between Ganymedes and the Egyptian commander, Arsinoe ordered Achillas executed. Ganymedes pressed Caesar’s forces hard and negotiated an exchange of Arsinoe for Ptolemy XIII, but the Romans, with reinforcements, defeated the Egyptian army, and Arsinoe was sent to Rome to be…

Achille Lauro hijacking, hijacking of the Italian cruise ship the MS Achille Lauro on Oct. 7, 1985, by four Palestinian militants associated with a faction of the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF). The Achille Lauro left Genoa, Italy, on October 3 for a 12-day cruise of the Mediterranean Sea. Aboard

yarrow, any of about 115 species of perennial herbs constituting the genus Achillea in the family Asteraceae, and native primarily to the North Temperate Zone. They have toothed, often finely cut leaves that are sometimes aromatic. The many small white, yellow, or pink flowers often are grouped

yarrow: …and parts of yarrow or milfoil (A. millefolium) have been used for snuff and tea.

yarrow: The dried leaves of sneezewort (A. ptarmica) are used to make a sneezing powder, and parts of yarrow or milfoil (A. millefolium) have been used for snuff and tea.

Statius: …two books of another, the Achilleid. The Thebaid, a more ambitious work, describes the struggle of the brothers Polyneices and Eteocles for the throne of the ancient Greek city of Thebes. It has many features borrowed from Virgil, but suffers from overstatement and exaggeration. The work begins and ends, however,…

Troilus and Cressida: The legendary Greek hero Achilles is depicted as petulant and greedy for honour, so much so that he brutally massacres the great Hector when that warrior is unarmed. Hector, for his part, is at once the wisest of the Trojans and a captive of his own sense of honour…

Graf Spee: cruisers Exeter, Ajax, and Achilles, commanded by Commodore H. Harwood. At 6:14 am Harwood’s three ships attacked, but in a little more than an hour the Graf Spee had damaged the Exeter and driven off the other two cruisers. The Graf Spee then made off in the direction of…