turned to Italy to produce his opera of "Ezio" at Verona, in 1767, and then went to Vienna, where he married a famous singer named Guadagni, with whom he came to London in 1768. Here he wrote "La Moglie Fedele," and "Il Re alla Caccia," which, though they had merit, met with indifferent success. After a visit to Dresden and to Pavia, writing an opera for each place, he returned to this country in 1775, and produced "La Sposa Persiana," "La Novita," and, in conjunction with Sacchini, "La Contadina in Corte." In 1778 he again went back to Italy, and, after producing operas in several of the principal cities, in 1786 (or in 1784) he went to Petersburg, with the hope of being appointed director of the opera at that capital, in which, however, he was disappointed. He returned in 1788 to the south, and the following year brought out at Berlin "Il Ritorno d'Ulisse" with such success, that the king appointed him second kapellmeister. He now wrote "La Compagni a d'Opera a Nanchino," a piece satirising the management, poets, composers, and singers of the grand opera in Berlin, which was represented at Potsdam in 1790. This drew upon him the resentment of all the persons it ridiculed to such an extent, that not only was his opera of "Dario" hissed from the stage in 1791, but, in consequence of the ceaseless invectives against him in the public journals, in 1792 the king withdrew from him a libretto, with which he had commissioned him, and he was compelled to resign his office and return to his own country, where he closed his days in obscurity. Gerber gives a list of his dramatic works.—G. A. M.
ALESON, François d', a writer of history, of the 17th century; a member of the Society of Jesus. His work, which relates to the history of Navarre from the death of Jeanne de France, forms, says the Biographie Universelle, the complement to Joseph de Moret's "Annales de Navarra," 5 vols. folio.
ALESSANDRINI, Giulio, born 1506, died 1590. He studied medicine at the university of Padua, and was successively physician to Maximilian II., Charles V., and Frederick I. In his writings he demonstrated that the "Theriaque," attributed to Gallien, was not the work of that author.
ALESSI, Galeazzo, an Italian architect, whose fame has spread throughout Europe, was born at Perugia in 1500. France, Germany, and Italy can boast of many of the productions of his genius, but the church and monastery of the Escurial, in Spain, are considered his chefs-d'œuvres. Died in 1572.
ALESSIO, Piemontese, an Italian physician, who flourished in the sixteenth century, and pretended to have discovered an elixir by which he could restore the vigour of youth.
ALEVAS, a Greek sculptor and brass-caster, who, according to Pliny, excelled in portraying philosophers. No date is known in connection with this artist.
ALEXANDER. Under this head will be given, 1st, the princes of that name, in the alphabetic order of their countries; 2nd, the popes, saints, and martyrs; 3rd, all not included in these divisions, in the usual alphabetical order:—
I.—ALEXANDER OF CONSTANTINOPLE.
ALEXANDER, Emperor of Constantinople, third son of Basilius and Eudocia, born in 870, reigned from the death of his brother Leo in 911, with whom he had been previously associated by his father in the government of the empire. His conduct after his accession was marked by the most insane riot and debauchery. He deposed the patriarch of Constantinople, Eutimius, and banished the Empress Zoe. He had only reigned one year, when he died suddenly.—J. S., G.
II.—ALEXANDERS OF EGYPT.
ALEXANDER I., king of Egypt, was the son of Ptolemy Physcon; his mother was one of the Cleopatras, Physcon's niece. Alexander was at first king of Cyprus; but owing to a revolution in Egypt (107 b.c.), became king of that country in conjunction with his mother, whom he assassinated after reigning with her for sixteen years. He was in consequence forced to retire again to Cyprus. Died about 85 b.c.
ALEXANDER II., king of Egypt, son of the preceding. He reigned nineteen days in conjunction with Cleopatra, at once his wife and sister, and then assassinated her; upon which he was himself slain by the people of Alexandria.
III.—ALEXANDERS OF EPIRUS.
ALEXANDER I., king of Epiras, was the brother of Olympias, wife of Philip of Macedon, who placed him on the throne of Epirus, and gave him his daughter Cleopatra in marriage. He was slain during a campaign in Italy about 326 b.c.
ALEXANDER II., son of Pyrrhus, acceded to the throne of Epiras in 272 b.c. He wrested Macedon from Antigonus Gonatas; but was driven both from that country and from Epirus by Demetrius, son of Antigonus. He regained his own kingdom, however. Alexander was the author of a lost work on military tactics, which has received the commendation of Arrian. Coins of both the above monarchs exist.—A. M.
IV.—ALEXANDER OF GEORGIA.
ALEXANDER, king of Georgia, succeeded to the throne in 1414, and died about 1440 in a monastery, having divided the kingdom among his three sons, George, Vaktang, and Demetrius.
V.—ALEXANDERS OF JUDEA.
ALEXANDER JANNÆUS acceded to the throne of Judea 105 b.c. He was an energetic and warlike prince, and left his dominions more extensive than he found them; but he was detested by his subjects, who, led by the Pharisees, repeatedly rose in insurrection against him. By the aid of Greek mercenaries, he maintained himself on the throne for twenty-seven years, quelling these revolts with the utmost disregard of human life. Some of his coins are extant.—A. M.
ALEXANDER, a prince of Judea, grandson of the preceding. He figured with his father Aristobulus and the rest of his family in Pompey's triumph, after the conquest of Judea in 63 b.c.; but, escaping from Rome to Syria, Alexander endeavoured to seat himself on the throne of his ancestors, and contested the supremacy of Judea with the Romans from 57 b.c. to 49 b.c., when he was taken and put to death by Quintus Metellus Scipio, son-in-law of Pompey.—A. M.
VI.—ALEXANDERS OF MACEDON.
ALEXANDER I., surnamed the Opulent, son of Amyntas I., while his father was yet alive, slew the ambassadors sent by Xerxes to demand submission previously to his invasion of Greece (507 b.c.) He had ascended the throne when the Persian army entered the country, and was forced to temporise; secretly, however, he remained a friend to the Greeks, and, by the information he sent them, was instrumental in procuring the victory of Platææ. Died about 455 b.c.—A. M.
ALEXANDER II., son of Amyntas II., whom he succeeded in 369 b.c. His short reign was disturbed by a claim which Ptolemy Alorites set up to his throne; but the dispute was arranged in his favour by the influence of the Thebans, with whom he concluded a treaty of alliance, sending to Thebes, among other hostages, his youngest brother Philip, father of Alexander the Great. He was assassinated, however, soon after, at the instigation of Ptolemy, in 367 b.c., having reigned scarcely two years.—A. M.
ALEXANDER III., surnamed The Great, son of Olympias and Philip II., the eighteenth king of Macedon; born at Pella 356 b.c.; died 323 b.c. He lived thirty-two years. Our space forbids our attempting anything beyond a delineation of the main features of so gigantic a form.—His career may be conveniently divided into three epochs; the first including the period previous to his invasion of Asia, the second the whole of his outward march, and the third the interval between his return from the Hyphasis and his death.
I. Alexander early evinced remarkable powers, and a keen consciousness of the dignity of his station. The anecdotes of his boyhood—as the taming of Bucephalus, his interrogation of the Persian ambassadors, and his jealousy of Philip's victories—manifest a spirit of daring and restless ambition. He was well trained in horsemanship and manly sports, and we hear from Æschines of his skill on the lyre. He combined his father's prudence, fortitude, and ingenuity, with the ardent temper of Olympias; and his education served to foster both those elements of future greatness. His first guardians were Leonidas, a relation of his mother, and the Acharnanian Lysimachus. The former, of stern and rigid disposition, endeavoured to train his pupil to the endurance of toil and hardship. Connected with the latter, were those Homeric studies which so soon impressed a romantic stamp upon Alexander's exploits: the tutor assumed the name of Phœnix, and the prince was pleased to be addressed as Achilles, his boasted ancestor and pattern hero. But Philip had designed for him a more famous teacher; for in 342 b.c. he invited Aristotle to undertake the education of his son. Thus, in Alexander's thirteenth year, began a connection such as has never been renewed in history—between the great Actor and the great Thinker of the age. Philip displayed a generous respect for his guest, and restored his native town of Stagira. Here,
