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Metellus

(Encyclopedia)Metellus mētĕlˈəs [key], ancient Roman family of the plebeian gens Caecilia. Lucius Caecilius Metellus, d. c.221 b.c., consul (251 b.c.), fought in the First Punic War. He was pontifex maximus (fr...

Scaevola

(Encyclopedia)Scaevola (Quintus Mucius Scaevola), d. 82 b.c., Roman jurist. He was tribune of the people (106 b.c.) and consul (95 b.c.) with Lucius Licinius Crassus (see under Crassus, family); together they colla...

Barton, Clara

(Encyclopedia)Barton, Clara, 1821–1912, American humanitarian, organizer of the American Red Cross, b. North Oxford (now Oxford), Mass. She taught school (1839–54) and clerked in the U.S. Patent Office before t...

Rosicrucians

(Encyclopedia)Rosicrucians rōzĭkro͞oˈshənz [key], members of an esoteric society or group of societies, who claim that their order has been in existence since the days of ancient Egypt and has over the course ...

Piso

(Encyclopedia)Piso pīˈsō [key], distinguished family of the ancient Roman gens Calpurnia. One of the best-known members was Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, d. after 43 b.c., father-in-law of Julius Caesar. As...

Crux

(Encyclopedia)Crux kro͝oks [key] [Lat.,=cross], small but brilliant southern constellation whose four most prominent members form a Latin cross, the famous Southern Cross. The long arm of the cross, terminating in...

Goldberg, Rube

(Encyclopedia)Goldberg, Rube (Reuben Lucius Goldberg), 1883–1970, American cartoonist and sculptor, b. San Francisco. After drawing cartoons for San Francisco newspapers, he moved to New York City. There he worke...

Gabii

(Encyclopedia)Gabii gāˈbēī [key], ancient town of Latium, 12 mi (19.3 km) E of Rome on the road to Praeneste (modern Palestrina). According to legend, Romulus was reared there. One of the most important of the ...

Commodus

(Encyclopedia)Commodus (Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus) kŏmˈədəs [key], 161–192, Roman emperor (180–192), son and successor of Marcus Aurelius. In 180, reversing his father's foreign policy, he concluded p...

Sejanus

(Encyclopedia)Sejanus (Lucius Aelius Sejanus) sĭjāˈnəs [key], d. a.d. 31, Roman statesman; son of Sejus Strabo, Praetorian prefect. When his father went to Egypt as governor, he succeeded to the command of the ...