Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 01.djvu/188

The stories of the Ilittd seem to have originated aniono; the -Eolians. At the end of the seventh century B.C., on the ishmd of Lesbos, in the poems of Alcaeus and Sappho, the personal lyric reached its highest development. The .Eolians shared the fate of the other Grecian colonies in Asia Minor. First tributary to the Lydian kings, tlien subjected to the domination of the Persians, they became a portion of the great empire founded by Alexander, and after passing through a stage of subjection to the dynasty of the Seleucidse, were ultimately absorbed in the Koman Kmpire. See Lyuic Poetry.

ÆOL'IPILE, or ÆOL'IPYLE (commonly explained as from Lat. Æoli pila, the ball of Æolus). An invention of Hero of Alexandria, often described as the first steam engine. It consists of a hollow metal sphere mounted on trunnions, through one of which steam is introduced. Short bent tubes issue from this ball at diametrically opposite points, from which steam escapes and causes the globe to revolve. A similar device can be used when the globe is filled with water or alcohol, as a blow-pipe for lamp flame. Consult: Gerland and Traumüller, Geschichte der Physikalischen Experimentierkunst (Leipzig, 1899), for a description of this and other early apparatus: also W. Schmidt, Heron von Alexandria (Leipzig, 1899). It is also described in E. H. Thurston's Growth of the Steam Engine (New York, 1878).

HERO'S ÆOLIPILE.

Æ'OLIS (Gk. (Greek characters), Aiolis). A district on the west coast of Asia Minor, extending from the Hellespont to the river Hermus. There were about thirty Greek cities in this district, of which twelve in the southern part formed a league in early times.

Æ’OLUS (Gk. (Greek characters), Aiolos). (1) A friend of the gods and controller of the winds. In the Odyssey he rules a floating island. In the Æneid he keeps the winds confined in a cave and releases them as he wills. He was also supposed to dwell in a vast cave in the Æolian Islands, keeping the winds in bags, and letting them out as demanded by Poseidon. (2) Son of Hellen, brother of Dorus, and father of Sisyphus. He ruled in Thessaly, and is said to have been the founder of the Æolic branch of the Greek race. Originally both (1) and (2) were probably the same.

Æ'ON (Gk. (Greek characters), aiOii, an age, long space of time, eternity). A term used by the Gnostics, in a peculiar sense, to designate powers that had emanated from God before the beginning of time, and existed as distinct entities or spirits. They were called æons either as partaking of the eternal existence of God or because they were thought to preside over the various ages and transformations of the world. See Gnostics.

AEPI'NUS, Franz Maria Ulrich Theodor (1724-1802). A German physicist, born at Rostock. He first studied medicine, but afterward devoted himself to physics, of which he became professor in St. Petersburg in 1757. He discovered the electric properties of the mineral tourmaline, improved the microscope, and performed numerous original experiments in frictional electricity and magnetism, devising the method of magnetizing known as "double touch." He, in common with Benjamin Franklin, held the single fluid theory of electricity, in opposition to many men of his time who believed that there were two kinds of electricity. He published Tentamen Theoriæ Electricitatis et Magnetismi. Catharine II., Empress of Russia, made him teacher to her son Paul and inspector-general of the normal schools which she proposed to establish.

Æ'PYOR'NIS (Gk. (Greek characters), aipys, high + (Greek characters), ornis, bird). An extinct group of ratite birds which inhabited Madagascar within recent, but undetermined, geological time, and three species of which are known from fossil remains; no evidence exists that it survived to the time of man. although it is frequently referred to as the "roc." It resembled an ostrich in general structure and appearance, but was perhaps taller, and had no wings suitable for flight, resembling in this respect its close still living ally, Apteryx, and the extinct Dinornis and Megalapteryx, of New Zealand. Many of its huge eggs have been exhumed from the drifting sands of southern Madagascar. They measure about nine by thirteen inches, and are very large proportionately, since they are double the dimensions of ostrich eggs, and much exceed those of the moa. For a circumstantial account of the collecting of its bones and eggs, in Madagascar, see Proceedings Zoölogical Society of London (1894).

Æ'QUI. An ancient warlike tribe of central Italy, obstinate enemies of the early Romans, against whom they made alliances with the Volsci. They were defeated by Camillus. 389 B.C.. and in 304 B.C. were finally subdued. Jloimt Algidus was one of their strongholds, whence they raided on Rome.

ÆRA'RIANS (Lat. ærarii, persons pertaining to the treasury, ærarium, i.e., paying taxes, but having no rights). A class in early Rome having no social position now definable and having no civil rights beyond the mere protection of the state. For bad conduct any citizen might be degraded to this condition, but not for life. Persons declared infamous became of this class, and it probably included itinerant retail merchants. They were taxed, but were not subject to military service.

ÆRA'RIUM (Lat., from ws, bronze, money). The public treasury of ancient Rome, containing the money and accounts of the state. The tem- ple of Saturn, at the font of the Capitol, was the place of deposit. Besides this common treasury, replenished by general taxes and charged with ordinary expenditures, there was a reserve treas- ury, maintained by a tax of 5% on the value of manumitted slaves, which was not to be resorted to or even entered except in extreme necessity. In addition to the treasuries, the Emperor had a fiscus, or separate exchequer. Augustus estab- lished a military treasury to contain all money for the maintenance of the army. Later emper- ors had separate private ærariums, containing the moneys appropriated to their private use.

A'ËRATED BREAD. See Bread.

AËRATED WA'TERS. Waters impregnated with carbon dioxide gas, and frequently containing mineral salts. Such waters are exten-