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NABIS, was tyrant of Sparta from 207 b.c. to 192 b.c. Immediately after he got possession of the throne, he entered upon a course of the most cruel and rapacious exactions from the citizens. Many were put to death from mere suspicion; some were driven into exile; others were plundered of their wealth to fill the coffers of the tyrant. By means of the riches he thus amassed Nabis maintained a large army; and he became an ally of the Romans in their war against Philip. He invaded the territory of Megalopolis, and afterwards took possession of Messene, from which he was expelled by Philopœmen in 201 b.c. In 199 b.c. he suffered a second defeat by Philopœmen, who had advanced into Laconia at the head of the Achæan league. Nabis now found himself at war with the Romans, who besieged him in Sparta, and after a short struggle compelled him to accept peace on terms very favourable to them. He next had to meet the Achæan league under his former conqueror, Philopœmen; and after the whole of Laconia had been overrun and ravaged, he was finally assassinated in 192 b.c.—D. M.
NADASTI or DE NADZAD, Thomas, a Hungarian noble, who in 1529 defended Buda in behalf of Ferdinand of Austria against the Sultan Soliman. The garrison and inhabitants of the city, terrified by the preparations of the Turks, disregarded their brave governor's commands to resist, overpowered him, and gave him up to the besiegers. The warlike sultan, disgusted with this treachery, put the mutinous inhabitants to the sword and set Nadasti at liberty. The latter subsequently distinguished himself in the service of Charles V., and numbered among his military pupils the too famous duke of Alva.—R. H.
NADIR SHAH, otherwise TÁMASP KOULI KHAN, the latest example in oriental history of a great conqueror and powerful monarch raised from a humble origin, was born in 1688 at a village near Meshed, the capital of Khorassan. Left an orphan in his boyhood, and deprived of his inheritance by an uncle, he became a soldier in the service of the governor of Meshed, and soon distinguished himself in conflicts with the Uzbegs by his courage and capacity. He could, however, obtain no promotion from Ispahan, where the Sophi Shah Hussein was given up to the influences of a corrupt court. Nadir, driven away with harshness and contumely, maintained himself by pillage at the head of a roving band of adventurers. Ere long he found himself leader of a formidable force, conquering cities and territories. Meanwhile Ispahan had been invaded by the Affghans, by whom Hussein was dethroned, 1722. Shah Támásp his heir retired to the northern provinces of Persia and found a valuable ally in Nadir, who soon gained a complete empire over the feeble mind of the monarch—not, however, without show of deference, for he now changed his name from "Nadir Kouli" (Slave of the Wonderful), to "Támásp Kouli" (Slave of Támásp). By his energy and great military talents he soon delivered the shah from foreign enemies, and restored Persia to its ancient grandeur, enlarging her frontiers on every side at the expense of the Affghans, the Uzbegs, the Arabs, and the Turks respectively. Támásp, however, attempting to act independently of his too powerful subject by concluding a treaty with the Turks, was deposed, 1732, and his son Abbas III., an infant eight months old, proclaimed sovereign under the regency of Nadir. Four years later. Abbas having died very opportunely. Nadir was elected king of Persia by a large assembly of the nobles of Persia. After this he made his celebrated expedition to India, conquered the Great Mogul, occupied Delhi, and returned home laden with countless treasures. But from this time a change came over his character; avarice, jealousy, and cruelty possessed his mind. On suspicion that his son Riza had instigated an attempt made upon his life, he condemned that gallant prince to lose his eyes. "It is not my eyes you have put out," said Riza, "but those of Persia." The words were of prophetic import. Nadir, who had been the glory of his country and the pride of his soldiery, made himself, by detestable cruelties committed on the sectarian plea of destroying sectarianism in religion, the object of universal hate and terror. Some of his generals, aware of his evil intentions towards themselves, conspired to kill him. On the night of the 19th June, 1747, they rushed upon him as he lay in his tent in the camp at Feth-abad; and after a desperate struggle, in which he wounded two of them, they put him to death and cut off his head.—R. H.
NAECKE, Gustav Heinrich, a German historical painter, was born in 1785 at Frauenstein in Saxony. He studied in the Dresden Art Academy, and afterwards at Rome, where he associated himself with the school of German painters, of which Cornelius and Overbeck were the heads. Herr Näcke painted both in oil and fresco, and made numerous drawings with the point and in sepia, which were in much request. Some of his early works belonged to classic mythology, as a "Jupiter Tonans," &c.; many are from German poetry and history, as "Faust accosting Margaret at the Church Door," and "Count Egmont," the former well known by Strixner's lithograph, the latter by Amsler's engraving; but a large portion of his chief works are from the scriptures or the legends of the church. Herr Näcke was appointed professor of painting in the Art Academy, Dresden, in 1824, and died in that city in 1835. He is among the most esteemed of the Dresden painters.—J. T—e.
NÆVIUS, Cnæus, a celebrated Latin poet, was born about 270 b.c., in Campania. He served in the first Punic war, a few years after the conclusion of which he brought out his first play on the Roman stage. He was attached to the plebeian party, and made comedy a vehicle for attacks on the nobles. Having in this way given especial offence to the great family of the Metelli, he was thrown into prison, probably about 206 b.c. He seems to have been released soon afterwards, but was driven into banishment, where he died, 204 b.c. according to Cicero, but the date is uncertain. Nævius wrote numerous dramas, both tragic and comic, many of which were adapted from the Greek with eminent success. But his most famous work was an epic poem on the first Punic war. In this he is believed to have shown eminent genius, and it was extensively imitated by Virgil in the Æneid. It is praised by Cicero, and continued popular in the time of Horace though written in the ancient saturnian metre. Only a few fragments of Nævius are now extant.—G.
NAIGEON, Jacques André, was born in Paris in 1738, and early devoted himself to classical study, as well as to that of the exact sciences. An intimate friendship with Diderot led Naigeon to edit his works after his decease. A friend of the Baron d'Holbach and of his unbelieving circle, Naigeon outvied them all by the shamelessness with which he proclaimed himself an atheist. Remarkably cautious as long as there was any danger of being sent to the Bastile, he was so noisy about his miserable doctrines when the Revolution had broken out, that he was ultimately stigmatized with the title of "the intolerant atheist." His private life, however, was pure. He died at Paris, 28th February, 1810.—W. J. P.
NAIN, Le, the name of a distinguished French family of painters of the seventeenth century; the earliest genre painters of the French school. There were three brothers of this name, natives of Laon in the north of France—Louis, Antoine, and Mathieu le Nain. Having acquired their art from a stranger in the town of Laon, they completed their studies and established
