Aehrenthal

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

COUNT VON, a statesman of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, born in 1854. He was educated at Bonn and Prague Universities, entered the diplomatic service in 1877, and was rapidly advanced until 1888, when he was appointed Minister to Rumania. In the following year ÆNEAS he became Ambassador to Russia and served in this capacity until 1906, when he was appointed Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was largely through his influence that the Turkish provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina were annexed to the Austrian Empire. At first he worked in close co-operation with the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the throne. This association continued until 1910, when Aehrenthal withdrew from the aggressive party and became the head of the peace party. The two men quarreled and Von Aehrenthal offered his resignation which, however, was not accepted by the Emperor, who fully supported his peace policy. In the turmoil, however, his health had suffered and he died in 1912. ÆLFRIC, an Anglo-Saxon abbot, surnamed GRAMMATICUS; born about 955. He wrote in vigorous Old English, comiled a Latin grammar and glossary, and piled translated most of the historical books of the Old Testament and canons for the regulation of the clergy. He died about 1020. ÆNEAS (en-ē'as), a Trojan prince, son of Anchises and the goddess Venus. The care of his infancy was intrusted to a nymph; but at the age of 5 he was recalled to Troy. He married Creusa, Priam's daughter, by whom he had a son, called Ascanius. When Troy was in flames, he carried away upon his shoulders his father Anchises and the statues of his household gods, leading by his hand his son Ascanius, and leaving his wife to follow behind. According to Vering from Sicily to Italy when he landed in Epirus, and was driven on the coasts of Africa and received by Dido, Queen of Carthage, to whom, on his first interview, he gave one of the garments of the beautiful Helen. Dido being enamored of him, wished to marry him; but he left Carthage by order of the gods. In his voyage he passed to Cumæ, where the Sibyl conducted him to hell, that he might hear from his father the fate which awaited him and all his posterity. After a voyage of seven years, and the loss of 13 ships, he arrived in the Tiber. Latinus, the king of the country, received him with hospitality, and promised him his daughter Lavinia, who had been before betrothed to King Turnus by her mother Amata. To prevent this marriage, Turnus made war against Æneas and was killed. Æneas married Lavinia and succeeded his father-in-law. His reign was but of short duration, various accounts being given of the cause of his death. ÆNEID ÆNEID, one of the great epic poems of the world. It was written in Latin by Vergil, and published after his death, which took place about 16 b. c. Its hero is Æneas, one of the Trojan chiefs, whose adventures during and after the siege of Troy it recounts, till the time when he succeeded in fully establishing himself in Italy. ÆOLIAN or ÆOLIC, one of the three great dialects of the Greek language, the others being the Doric and the Ionic. The expression, Attic dialect, often occurs, but this should be regarded as the normal type of Greek rather than as a divergent dialect of that tongue. ÆOLIAN HARP, a harp played by Æolus in other words, by the wind. It is made by stretching strings of catgut over a wooden sound-box. If exposed to the action of the wind, a succession of pleasing sounds proceeds from it, plaintive when the breeze is slight, but bolder as it increases in force. ÆOLIANS, the name of one of those peoples classed under the general appellation of Greeks. We trace the name of Æolians to Thessaly, their primitive abode, as far as we know, where they appear to have been closely closely related to the Phthiotic Achæans of the same country. The Æolian colonies on the Asiatic main land were widely spread, extending at least from Cyzicus, along the shores of the Hellespont and the Ægean, to the river Caicus, and even the Hermus. There were 12 cities or states included in the older settlements in that tract of Asia Minor on the Ægean, which was known in Greek geography by the name of Æolis, and formed a part of the subsequent larger division of Mysia. Smyrna, one of them, which early fell into the hands of the Ionians, the neighbors of the Æolians, still exists nearly on the old spot, with exactly the same name. EOLUS (e'ō-lus), the god of the winds, was fabled by the early who poets to have his seat in the floating island of Æolia; but the Latin and later Greek poets placed him in the Lipari Isles. Here the winds were pent up in vast caves, it being the duty of Æolus to let them loose and to restrain their violence, at the pleasure of Jupiter. EON, a period of time, a lifetime, a generation; a long space of time, eternity; a space of time clearly marked out; a period, an age, a dispensation. In modern science and literature, a period of immense duration, specially one of those which geology makes known, as the Silurian and Devonian æons. AERIAL LAW. See AERONAUTICS.