Meshhed
MESHED, or MASH- HAD (the "place of martyrdom"), a city of Persia, capital of Khorasan, and the center of important trade routes to Merv, Bokhara, and elsewhere, situated on a tributary of the Hari-Rud, 200 miles N. W. of Herat, and 460 E. by N. of Teheran; manufactures felt-rugs, carpets, swords, turquoise jewelry, and velvet, cotton, and silk goods. Imam Riza, a follower of Ali, was the 8th imam of the Shiite sect, to which body of Moslems Meshhed is a sacred city. The climate is severe in winter, owing to the elevation, 3,055 feet. In summer the temperature ranges from 76° to 90°F. Near by are the ruins of Tas, the old capital of Khorasan, in which were buried Firdousi, the celebrated poet, Haroun-el-Raschid, the Sultan of the " "Arabian Nights," and the Imam Riza. Pop. about 60,000.
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Mesia
an ancient Roman province, divided by the river Cibrus (Zibritza) into two parts, the E. corresponding to the present Bulgaria, and the W. (Mesia Superior) to Servia. Its original inhabitants were mostly of Thracian race. From the 5th to the 7th century western Mesia was colonized by the Slav races which still occupy it, and eastern Mesia by the Bulgarians.
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Mesihi
a Turkish poet; flourished in the 14th century. He is one of the seven poets called by the Turks "the Pleiades," and whose names, written in gold, are suspended in the temple of Mecca. Sir William Jones, in his "Commentaries on Asiatic Poetry," translated one of his idyls.
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Mesmer
FRIEDRICH ANTON, or FRANZ, a German physician; born near Constance, Baden, May 23, 1734. He was bred for the priesthood esthood at Dillingen and Ingolstadt, but took up the study of medicine at Vienna, and took his doctor's MESOPOTAMIA A degree in 1766 with a treatise on the influence of the planets. About 1772 he began to investigate the curative powers of the magnet, and was led to adopt the opinion that there exists a power, similar to magnetism, which exercises an extraordinary influence on the human body. This he called animal magnetism (see MESMERISM), and published an account of his discovery, and of its medicinal value, in 1775. He died in Meersburg, Baden, Mar. 5, 1815.
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Mesna
(See Alchemy .)
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Mesne
an English law term, meaning middle, intermediate, intervening; as, a mesne lord, that is, one who holds lands of a superior, which or part of which he sublets to another person; in this case he intervenes between the two, being a tenant of the superior lord, and lord to their inferior tenant.
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Mesozoic
a term introduced by Phillips to designate the group of geological systems, the fossil remains of which differ equally from those of the Palæozoic (" ("ancient-life") and Cainozoic ("newer-life") eras. It is synonymous with the term Secondary, and includes the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous systems.
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Mesquit
or MESQUITE (mes-ket'), the shrub or tree Prosopis juliflora, of the United States and Mexico. Its wood is of a brown or red color, is heavy and hard and susceptible of a fine polish. It yields a gum resembling gum arabic. Its fruit pod, called the "mesquit bean," is used as a fodder for cattle.
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Messala
The name of a distinguished family of the Valeria gens at Rome. The most famous member of the family was M. Valerius Messala Corvinus, who, though he fought on the republican side at Philippi , was pardoned by the triumvirs, and afterwards became a friend of Augustus and a patron of learning. He was a friend also of Horace, and his name constantly occurs in the elegies of Tibullus. Messalina, Valeria. She was notorious for her vices, and married the emperor Claudius, who, wearied with her misconduct, cited her to appear before him and reply to the accusations which were brought against her, on which she attempted to destroy herself, but, failing to do so, was slain by one of the tribunes who had been sent to summon her.
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Messalina
the name of two Roman empresses. MESSALINA VA- LERIA, who had for her fifth husband the Emperor Nero, who had murdered her fourth husband, Atticus Vistimus. After the death of the emperor, in the year 68, she devoted herself to literary pursuits. MESSALINA VALERIA, daughter of Valerius Messalinus Barbatus, who became the wife of Claudius, and shared with him the imperial throne. Her licentious conduct is unparalleled in history, for she not only made her husband's palace the scene of her debaucheries, but often quitted it at night, and acted as a common prostitute. When summoned by the enraged emperor, after some fresh extravagance, in the year 48, she attempted to kill herself, but lacked courage, and her enemy Narcissus, who dreaded the result of the interview, caused her to be dispatched by a soldier.
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Messenia
in ancient Greece, the W. of the three peninsulas that project S. from the Peloponnesus; bounded on the E. by Laconia, and on the N. by Arcadia and Elis. It was composed chiefly of fertile plains, separated by mountain chains and watered by the Pamisus and other streams, and yielded abundant corn and wine. The original Pelasgic inhabitants were conquered by the Dorians, but soon absorbed their conquerors and rose to great prosperity. This excited the envy of the Spartans, who waged two long wars (743-724 and 685-668) against the Messenians. Most of those who survived the second war emigrated to Sicily, where they took possession of Zancle, and changed its name to Messana, the present MESSINA (q. v.). Those who submitted to Sparta were made helots; but they revolted and waged a third war of 10 years' duration (from 464). The survivors settled in Naupaktos. After the battle of Leuctra (370) Epaminondas invited the descendants of the Messenians back to Greece, and they joyfully responded to his invitation. Their independence continued till the Roman conquest in 146 b. c. Messenia is the name of a nomarchy of the modern kingdom of Greece.
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Messiah, The
The, an oratorio by Handel, the German composer. It was produced first in 1742 at Dublin, although it had been composed a year before. The words were arranged from the Scriptures by Charles Jennens. In 1789 Mozart added to the musical composition. It is said that of all musical compositions, no other has aroused such enthusiasm or been so long and so universally a favorite. Alexander Pope wrote a sacred pastoral entitled The Messiah published in The Spectator in 1712. An epic poem by Klopstock bears the title of Messias or "The Messiah." See Klopstock ; Pope ; Handel
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