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Basil I

(Encyclopedia)Basil I (Basil the Macedonian) băzˈəl, bāˈzəl [key], c.813–886, Byzantine emperor (867–86). His ancestors probably were Armenians or Slavs who settled in Macedonia. He became (c.856) the fav...

Clement VII, pope

(Encyclopedia)Clement VII, c.1475–1534, pope (1523–34), a Florentine named Giulio de' Medici; successor of Adrian VI. He was the nephew of Lorenzo de' Medici and was therefore first cousin of Pope Leo X. In 151...

Corpus Juris Civilis

(Encyclopedia)Corpus Juris Civilis kôrˈpəs jo͝oˈrĭs sĭvīˈlĭs [key], most comprehensive code of Roman law and the basic document of all modern civil law. Compiled by order of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I,...

Gordian

(Encyclopedia)Gordian gôrˈdēən [key], name of three Roman emperors. Gordian I (Marcus Antonius Gordianus Africanus), d. 238, was a Roman of great wealth and was colleague in the consulship with Caracalla and wi...

Alexander Severus

(Encyclopedia)Alexander Severus (Marcus Aurelius Alexander Severus) sĭvērˈəs [key], d. 235, Roman emperor (222–35), b. Syria. His name was changed (221) from Alexius Bassianus when he was adopted as the succe...

Darcy, Thomas Darcy, Baron

(Encyclopedia)Darcy, Thomas Darcy, Baron därˈsē [key], 1467–1537, English nobleman. He served in a number of military expeditions for Henry VII and for the young Henry VIII. He disapproved of Henry VIII's divo...

Cluny Museum

(Encyclopedia)Cluny Museum, 14th- and 15th-century Gothic and Renaissance structure in Paris, built by Pierre de Chaslus, abbot of Cluny, and rebuilt by Jacques d'Ambroise. The site is that of the ancient Roman bat...

Maximus, Magnus Clemens

(Encyclopedia)Maximus, Magnus Clemens, d. 388, Roman emperor of the West (383–388). After his followers murdered Gratian, he was recognized as ruler of Britain, Gaul, and Spain by Theodosius I. He invaded Italy i...

Praetorians

(Encyclopedia)Praetorians prētôrˈēənz [key], bodyguard of the ancient Roman emperors. Growing out of an early troop that served as bodyguard to the general commanding in Rome, they were formally organized in t...

Quidde, Ludwig

(Encyclopedia)Quidde, Ludwig lo͞otˈvĭkh kvĭdˈə [key], 1858–1941, German pacifist and historian. He was elected (1907) to the Bavarian diet, was a member (1919–22) of the national assembly at Weimar, and l...