Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Khudjand

(Encyclopedia)Khudjand, Khujand, or Khudzhand kho͞odˈjänd [key], city (1991 pop. 164,500), capital of Leninobod region, in Tajikistan, on the Syr Darya River at its exit from the Fergana Valley. It is a major c...

Bontemps, Arna

(Encyclopedia)Bontemps, Arna, 1902–73, African-American writer, b. Alexandria, La. He is best remembered as the author of the novel God Sends Sunday (1931), the basis of the play St. Louis Woman (1946); and of Bl...

Conon

(Encyclopedia)Conon kōˈnŏn, –nən [key], 3d cent. b.c., Greek astronomer and mathematician of Samos. He traveled in the western part of the Greek world making astronomical observations, then settled at Alexand...

Moschus

(Encyclopedia)Moschus mŏsˈkəs [key], fl. c.150 b.c., Greek bucolic poet of the school of Theocritus. He is called a Syracusan and lived in Alexandria. Among his few extant pieces is an idyl on Europa. Although L...

Hellenistic civilization

(Encyclopedia)Hellenistic civilization. The conquests of Alexander the Great spread Hellenism immediately over the Middle East and far into Asia. After his death in 323 b.c., the influence of Greek civilization con...

Soranus

(Encyclopedia)Soranus sərāˈnəs [key], fl. 1st–2d cent. a.d., Greek physician, probably b. Ephesus. He is believed to have practiced in Alexandria and in Rome and was an authority on obstetrics, gynecology, an...

Ptolemy X

(Encyclopedia)Ptolemy X (Ptolemy Alexander), d. 88 b.c., king of ancient Egypt (107 b.c.–88 b.c.), of the Macedonian dynasty, brother of Ptolemy IX. He was governor in Cyprus when called (110 b.c.) by his mother ...

Basilides

(Encyclopedia)Basilides bəsĭlˈĭdēz [key], fl. 120–145, Gnostic teacher of Alexandria. He wrote Exegitica (his personal gospel with 24 books of commentary) and poems. He claimed to possess a secret tradition ...

Aenesidemus

(Encyclopedia)Aenesidemus ēnĕsˌĭdēˈməs [key], Greek skeptic philosopher, fl. probably 1st cent. b.c. Thought to be a native of Knossos, Crete, he taught in Alexandria. Although his writings have been lost, i...

Ptolemy II

(Encyclopedia)Ptolemy II (Ptolemy Philadelphus) fĭlədĕlˈfəs [key], c.308–246 b.c., king of ancient Egypt (285–246 b.c.), of the Macedonian dynasty, son of Ptolemy I and Berenice (c.340–281 b.c.). He cont...