Athletes
combatants who took part in the public games of Greece. The profession was an honorable one; tests of birth, position, and character were imposed, and crowns, statues, special privileges, and pensions were among the rewards of success. In April, 1896, the ancient Olympic games were revived at Athens (the 776th Olympiad) under the personal patronage of the King of Greece, who presented crowns of victory to 44 pre contestants, of whom 11 were from the United States, the largest number of victors from any country. The widespread interest in the games led to the formation of an international committee to arrange for future contests, the first one taking place in Paris during the Exposition of 1900. Olympic games were resumed at the Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, 1901. See OLYMPIC GAMES.
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Athlone
a town in Ireland, on both sides of the Shannon, chiefly in Westmeath, 80 miles W. of Dublin by rail. The Shannon is crossed by a fine bowstring and lattice iron bridge of two arches, 175 and 40 feet span. Athlone Castle, founded in the reign of King militars John, was one of the chief military positions in Ireland. In the war of 1688 it was unsuccessfully besieged by William III. in person, but was afterward taken by Gen. Ginkell. The fortifications cover 15 acres, and contain barracks for 1,500 men. Pop. 10,000.
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Athol
a town in Worcester co., Mass., on Miller's river, and the Boston and Albany, and the Boston and Maine railroads; 44 miles N. W. of Worcester. It has electric railways connecting with the suburbs, and is principally engaged in the manufacture of cotton warps, shoes, sewing silk, fine mechanical tools, matches, organ cases, pocket-books, billiard tables, and furniture. The town has several National banks, public library, high school, and several weekly and monthly periodicals. Pop. (1910) 8,- 536; (1920) 9,792.
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Athor
HATHOR, or HETHER, an Egyptian goddess, identified with Aphrodite or Venus. Her symbol was the cow bearing on its head the solar disk and hawk feather plumes. Her chief temple was at Denderah. From her the third month of the Egyptian year derived its name.
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Athos
MOUNT, or HAGION-OROS, or MONTE SANTO, a famous mountain of Turkey in Europe, on a peninsula peninsula projecting into the Ægean Sea, between the Gulfs of Contesa and Monte Santo. It rises abruptly from the water to a height of 6,349 feet above sea level, and in its lower parts is covered with forests of pine, akachestnut, etc., above which towers bare conical peak. Herodotus. states that the fleet of Mardonius, the Persian general, in attempting to double this mountain, was reported to have lost more than 300 ships and 20,000 men. When Xerxes invaded Greece he determined to guard against the recurrence of a similar disaster by cutting a canal across the peninsula; of which great work the traces still remain. In modern times, Athos has been occupied for an extended period by a number of monks of the Greek Church, who live in a sort of fortified monasteries, in number about 20, of different degrees of magnitude and importance. These, with the farms or metochis attached to them, occupy the whole peninsula; hence it has derived its modern name of Monte Santo. These monasteries are situated in positions of strikingly romantic beauty. Some of them belong to Russians, others to Bulgarians and Serbians.
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Atitlan
a lake and mountain of Central America, in Guatemala. The lake is about 24 miles long and 10 broad; the mountain is an active volcano, 12,160 feet high.
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Atkins
ALBERT HENRY, an American sculptor, born in Milwaukee. He studied art in Boston and in Paris. In 1909 he became a member of the faculty of the Rhode Island School of Design, Department of Sculpture. Among his best known works are the Copenhagen Memorial Fountain at Boston, and the Lapham Memorial at Milwaukee. He also made architectural sculptures for several churches and many protraits and ideal sculptures. He was a member of the American Federation of Arts and other art societies.
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Atkinson
ELEANOR, an American author, born at Rensselaer, Ind. She was educated at the Indianapolis Normal Training School, for several years taught at Indianapolis and Chicago, and was a special writer on the Chicago press. Her writings include "The Boyhood of Lincoln" (1908); Lincoln's Love Story" (1909); "The Story of Chicago" (1910); "Johnny Appleseed" (1915); "Hearts Undaunted" (1917); etc.
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Atkinson
EDWARD, an American political economist, born in Brookline, Mass., Feb. 10, 1827; graduate of Dartmouth College. He has become widely known by his papers and pamphlets on trade competition, banking, railroading, fire prevention, the money question, tariff, etc. Soon after the battle in Manila Bay, he was elected vice-president of the Anti- Imperialist League. Among his publications are "The Distribution of Products" (1885); "Industrial Progress of the Nation" (1889); "The Science of Nutrition" (1892); "Taxation and Work" (1892); "Every Boy His Own Book" (1893); etc. He died in Boston, Mass., Dec. 11, 1905.
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Atlantes
in architecture, colossal statues of men used instead of pillars to support an entablature. Roman architects called them telamones (Greek). When statues of women support an entablature, they are generally called caryatides.
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Atlantic Cable
. See Cables
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Atlantic City
a city and noted seaside resort in Atlantic co., N. J.; on a long, sandy island, known as Absecon Beach; 60 miles S. E. of Philadelphia, with which it is connected by steam and electric railroads. The island stretches along the coast for 10 miles; has an average width of 4 of a mile, and is from 4 to 5 miles from the mainland. At the N. end is the Absecon Light, well known to coastwise sailors. The city has several miles of bathing beach, a magnificent promenade on the ocean front, a very large number of hotels and boarding houses, electric lights, public schools, churches of the principal denominations, several National banks, and daily, weekly, and monthly periodicals. It is probably the first all-the-year-round resort in the United States, its splendid climate giving it a large popular patronage even in the dead of winter. The transient population varies, but is estimated at from 400,000 to 500,000. Pop. (1910) 46,150; (1920) 50,707.
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