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Tenebrae

(Encyclopedia)Tenebrae tĕnˈĕbrā [key] [Lat.,=darkness], in the Roman Catholic Church, ceremony performed on the Wednesday and following evenings of Holy Week. As the choir chants, a number of candles set on a h...

Berlichingen, Götz von

(Encyclopedia)Berlichingen, Götz von götsˈ fən bĕrˈlĭkhĭng-ən [key], 1480–1562, German knight and adventurer. The head of a band of free soldiers, he lost (1504) his right hand in the battle of Landshut ...

Procopius the Great

(Encyclopedia)Procopius the Great, Czech Prokop Holý, d. 1434, Czech Hussite leader. A priest, he joined the Hussite movement (see Hussites) and distinguished himself as a captain under John Zizka in the Hussite W...

Capua

(Encyclopedia)Capua käˈpwä [key], town, Campania, S Italy, on the Volturno River. It is an agricultural ...

Postumus

(Encyclopedia)Postumus (Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus) pŏsˈtyo͞oməs [key], d. 269?, Roman commander. Governor of Gaul under Gallienus, he revolted (257) and established an independent empire there. Althou...

Commagene

(Encyclopedia)Commagene kŏməjēˈnē [key], ancient district of N Syria, on the Euphrates River and S of the Taurus range, now in SE Asian Turkey. Its metropolis, Samosata, was founded by Samos, the king of Comma...

Caracalla

(Encyclopedia)Caracalla kărəkălˈə [key], 188–217, Roman emperor (211–17); son of Septimius Severus. His real name was Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, and he received his nickname from the caracalla, a Gallic tu...

Crusades

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Crusader States (c.1140) Crusades kro͞oˈsādz [key], series of wars undertaken by European Christians between the 11th and 14th cent. to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims. After...

Innocent II

(Encyclopedia)Innocent II, d. 1143, pope (1130–43), a Roman named Gregorio Papareschi; successor of Honorius II. He was created cardinal by Paschal II. On the death of Honorius II, a faction of the cardinals elec...

Jiménez de Cisneros, Francisco

(Encyclopedia)Jiménez de Cisneros, Francisco fränthēsˈkō hēmāˈnāth dā thēsnāˈrōs [key], 1436–1517, Spanish prelate and statesman, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. An austere Franciscan, he was...