author, was born at Damascus in 1273. He distinguished, himself as a leader under Saladin, and in 1311 was, after various vicissitudes in a civil war, firmly established in his hereditary principality of Hamah, which he retained till his death in 1331. Learned and enlightened himself, he was a zealous patron of science and literature. His principal works are a "Universal History "and a "Geography," of which considerable portions have been translated into Latin and into several modern continental languages, and are frequently quoted with respect by the most distinguished historians of modern times, in connection with the history of the Saracens.—E. M.
ABU´L-GHA´ZY-BEHADER, a descendant of Ghengis Khan, and sovereign of a country in Tartary, called Kharasm, born in 1606, ascended the throne in 1645, which he spontaneously abdicated in favour of his son several years before his death, and devoted himself to the composition of an interesting history of the Tartars, which has been translated into Russian, German, and French. Died in 1664.
ABU´L-HASSAN-KHAN, Mirza, a Persian traveller and diplomatist, born at Shiraz in 1744. In 1809 he was sent to Constantinople and London as Persian ambassador, and was subsequently intrusted with missions to the courts of Russia and Austria. Returning finally to Persia in 1820, he held the office of minister for foreign affairs till his death in 1828.
ABU´L-MAHA´SSAN, an Arab historian, born at Aleppo about the middle of the 15th century, author of a valuable history of Egypt, named "The Brilliant Stars," and of a curious biographical dictionary, left incomplete.
ABU´-MANSU´R, an Arab astronomer, superintendent of the observatories of Bagdad and Damascus, born in 885. His "Observations" were an important contribution to astronomical science. He wrote also "Lives of the Arabian Poets."
ABU´-'OBAID-AL-BEKRI´, an Arab geographer and historian, prime minister to the king of Almeria, was born at Onoba (now Gibraleon), in the south-west of Spain, in 1040. His principal work is a geographical description of the world. He wrote, also, a work on the botany of Spain, and a volume of poems. Died in 1094.
ABU´-'OBAID-AL-CACEM-BEN-SALLAM, a native of Herat, long cadi of Tarsus, and author of numerous works, of which the principal are—1. "A treatise on Prophetic Traditions," and 2. "A Collection of Arabian Proverbs and Apologues," from which Scaliger took most of his Two Hundred Arab Proverbs. Died at Mecca in 838.
ABU´-'OBEIDAH, a friend and favourite companion of Mahomet, and one of the principal Moslem generals under the early caliphs, remarkable for his prudence and mildness of disposition. He saved the inhabitants of Damascus, in spite of the desire of his more sanguinary colleague to put all the males to the sword, and sack the city.
ABU-OSAIBAH, an Arab physician, born towards the end of the twelfth century. His "History of Physicians," of which there is a MS. copy in the national library of France, contains many interesting particulars relating to the medical practice of the most celebrated Arabs. Died in 1269.
ABU´-RY´A´N. See Al-Birunius.
ABU´-SA'I´D-MIRZA, last sovereign of the empire established by Tamerlane, and great-grandson of that conqueror, was born in 1427. He added to his dominions Transoxiana, Turkistan, and Khorassan; but, in attempting to reduce Irak and Adzerbaïdjan, he was made prisoner, and put to death in 1469, after a reign of twenty years. His empire, which was partitioned among his eleven sons, extended from Kashghar to Tauris, and from the Indus to the Caspian.—E. M.
ABU´-TA´CHEFYN, last prince of the Zyany dynasty, ascended the throne of Tlemsen, by murdering his father, in 1318. On frivolous pretexts he seized on nearly all the territories of the king of Tunis, who applied for assistance to Abul Hassan, sovereign of Fez. This prince avenged his ally by taking Tlemsen, and putting Abù-Táchefyn to death.
ABU´-TA´LEB-AL-HOCE´INY, a native of Khorassan, who, about the end of the sixteenth century, translated from Tartar into Persian "The Memoirs of Timur "(Tamerlane), and "Timur's Political Institutes." The latter work has been published in Persian and English.
ABU´-TA´LEB-KHA´N, Mirza, a learned traveller, born at Lucknow in Hindostan, of Persian extraction, in 1752. After having served for some time in the army of the nabob of Oude, he embarked for Europe with his friend Captain Richardson, remained three months at the Cape of Good Hope, and arrived at Cork in December, 1799. After living in London more than two years, and then visiting Paris, he returned to India by Constantinople, Bagdad, and Bassora. His "Travels in Asia, Africa, and Europe," written in Persian, have been translated into English and French. He wrote also—1. A work entitled "Marrow of History," being an abridgment of the geography and history of Europe; 2. A collection of songs; and 3. A poem in 1200 lines, being a description of the British empire.—E. M.
ABU´-TEMA´N, an Arab poet, usually styled by Arab writers "the prince of poets," born in Syria in 805. He was brought up in Egypt, where his merits as a poet raised him to celebrity and opulence. Besides his own poems, he left several volumes of extracts from the works of the most eminent Arab poets. Died at Mosul in 846.
ACA´CIUS, bishop of Amida on the Tigris, about the year 420. He sold the church plate to ransom and nourish 7000 Persian captives, who were dying of hunger, and sent them to the king of Persia. That monarch, struck with such exalted beneficence, desired an interview with the good bishop, which led to a treaty of peace between Persia and the Roman empire.
ACA´CIUS, surnamed the One-eyed, disciple, and afterwards successor of Eusebius, bishop of Cæsarea, was a man of great abilities, but greater ambition. Unsettled in his opinions, he successively professed and renounced every variety of belief relating to the person of Christ. He was founder of the sect called Acacians. Died in 365.
ACA´CIUS, bishop of Perea in Syria, the intimate friend of Epiphanius and Flavian, but afterwards a bitter adversary of Chrysostom. He died in 432, at the great age of 110.
ACA´CIUS, patriarch of Constantinople, whose character has been differently delineated by opposite parties. He aided Zeno in obtaining the throne, induced him to favour the Eutychians, and rescued the Empress Ariadne when Zeno had ordered her to be put to death. Died in 489.
ACADE´MUS, an Attic hero, from whom, it is said, the grounds on the Cephisus, near Athens, where Plato instructed his disciples, derived the name of Academia.
ACAMAPIXTLI, first king of the Astecks, or ancient Mexicans, memorable for his wise legislation and great public works. He embellished his capital with splendid edifices; and the remains of the canals, aqueducts, and roads, made during his reign of forty years, still excite the astonishment of travellers.
ACARQ, D', a French writer on grammar and belles-lettres. His pedantic severity in criticising the style of the most illustrious authors gave great offence, but his numerous writings are not without merit. Born in 1720, and died in 1796.
ACCA, a Benedictine monk, who succeeded his friend Wilfrid as bishop of Hexham in Northumberland in 709. Having travelled in Italy and elsewhere, he embellished his cathedral and improved the church music; and wrote, besides liturgical pieces and miscellaneous letters, a discourse on the sufferings of the saints. Died in 740.
ACCAMA, Matthias and Bernarth, his brother, two celebrated Dutch portrait painters of the 18th century.
ACCARI´SI, Albert, an Italian grammarian, born near Ferrara about the end of the fifteenth century. He published an Italian dictionary and grammatical observations to aid in fixing and improving the Italian language.
ACCARI´SI, Francis, an eminent Italian lawyer, a native of Ancona, was successively professor of jurisprudence at Sienna, Pavia, and Pisa; he died in 1622.
ACCARI´SI, James, an Italian ecclesiastic, who, after having been professor of rhetoric at Mantua, became bishop of Vesta. Besides a volume of religious discourses, and a Latin translation of Ventivoglio's "History of the Civil Wars in the Low Countries," he published a dissertation, entitled "Terræ Quies," &c., in which he attempted, in opposition to Galileo, to disprove the earth's motion. Died in 1654.
ACCIAJUO´LI, Donato, an Italian statesman and scholar, remarkable for his great and varied attainments, and his disinterestedness and integrity in the public service; born at Florence in 1428. After having successively held various public offices, and lived with great simplicity, he died poor. The Florentines gave him a splendid funeral at the public expense, portioned his daughters, and appointed a few of the most illustrious citizens, including Lorenzo di Medicis, to act as guardians to his sons.
