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Great Dane

(Encyclopedia)Great Dane, breed of very large, powerful working dog developed in Europe more than 400 years ago. It may stand as high as 36 in. (91.4 cm) at the shoulder and weigh up to 150 lb (68.1 kg). Its short,...

Pernik

(Encyclopedia)Pernik pĕrˈnĭk [key], city (1993 pop. 91,075), W Bulgaria, on the Struma River. The industrial center of a coal-mining region, it has iron and steel smelters, glassworks, and power plants. Pernik i...

Darius II

(Encyclopedia)Darius II, d. 404 b.c., king of ancient Persia (423?–404 b.c.); son of Artaxerxes I and a concubine, hence sometimes called Darius Nothus [Darius the bastard]. His rule was not popular or successful...

net

(Encyclopedia)net, mesh fabric, known from prehistoric times. Nets have been made of many materials, including sinews, strips of hide, silk, vegetable and synthetic fibers, and metallic threads. Their earliest use ...

Skíros

(Encyclopedia)Skíros sīˈrəs [key], island (1991 pop. 2,901), c.80 sq mi (210 sq km), E Greece, in the Aegean Sea, largest of the N Sporades. It is a summer resort noted for its fine beaches and grottoes. Skíro...

Lamía

(Encyclopedia)Lamía lämēˈä, lāˈmēə [key], city (1991 pop. 44,084), capital of Fthiótis prefecture, E central Greece. It is a transportation hub and an agricultural center. Founded about the 5th cent. b.c....

Lystra

(Encyclopedia)Lystra lĭsˈtrə [key], ancient city of Lycaonia, S Asia Minor, in present Turkey. The Acts of the Apostles reports that it was visited by Paul and Barnabas. An ancient altar found there mentioned th...

Tydeus

(Encyclopedia)Tydeus tīˈdēəs [key], in Greek legend, son of Oeneus. He was killed in the expedition of the Seven against Thebes. His son, Diomed, avenged his father's death in the expedition of the Epigoni. ...

wall

(Encyclopedia)wall, in architecture, protective, enclosing, or dividing vertical structure. Its thickness is determined by the material, height, and stress. It may be of studding and lath, either boarded or plaster...

composition, in ancient and medieval law

(Encyclopedia)composition, in ancient and medieval law, a sum of money paid by a guilty party as satisfaction to the family of the person who was injured or killed. Failure to make the payment might justify retalia...