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Francois-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 - 30 May 1778), more commonly known by his <i>nom de plume</i> Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment historian, philosopher and writer. He was famous for his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of speech and separation of church and state, often attacking the Catholic Church through his wit and writings.<br/><br/> Voltaire was a prolific and versatile writer, with more than 20,000 letters and over 2,000 books and pamphlets to his name, as well as plays, poems, essays and historical and scientific works. Despite the strict censorship laws of the time, Voltaire often spoke up in favour of civil liberties, and regularly used satire to criticise intolerance, religious dogma and other pillars of French institutions of his day.
Francois-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 - 30 May 1778), more commonly known by his <i>nom de plume</i> Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment historian, philosopher and writer. He was famous for his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of speech and separation of church and state, often attacking the Catholic Church through his wit and writings.<br/><br/> Voltaire was a prolific and versatile writer, with more than 20,000 letters and over 2,000 books and pamphlets to his name, as well as plays, poems, essays and historical and scientific works. Despite the strict censorship laws of the time, Voltaire often spoke up in favour of civil liberties, and regularly used satire to criticise intolerance, religious dogma and other pillars of French institutions of his day.
Of Thraco-Roman origin, Maximinus Thrax (173-238 CE) was a child of low birth, and was seen by the Senate as a barbarian and not a true Roman, despite Caracalla's Antonine Constitution granting citizenship to all freeborn citizens of the Empire. A career soldier, Maximinus rose through the ranks until he commanded a legion himself. He was one of the soldiers who were angered by Emperor Severus Alexander's payments to the Germanic tribes for peace, and plotted with them to assasinate the emperor in 235 CE.<br/><br/> The Praetorian Guard declared Maximinus emperor after the act, a choice that was only grudgingly confirmed by the Senate, who were disgusted at the idea of a peasant becoming emperor. Maximinus despised the nobility, and was heavy-handed in dealing with anyone suspected of plotting against him. In 238 CE, revolt arose in the province of Africa during his reign, with the governor Gordian I and his son, Gordian II, declared co-emperors. The Roman Senate quickly switched allegiance and acknowledged the claim of the Gordians. Maximinus immediately marched on Rome to deal with the Senatorial uprising.<br/><br/> The Gordians were swiftly defeated and died after less than a month of being co-emperors, with the Senate becoming divided on how to act, some preferring Gordian's grandson, Gordian III, while others elected two of their own, Pupienus and Balbinus, as co-emperors. Rome became engulfed in severe riots and street fighting. Maximinus died before he reached Rome, assassinated by his own soldiers during the siege of Aquileia. Pupienus and Balbinus became undisputed co-emperors. Maximinus' reign is often seen as the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century, which would see the Roman Empire almost collapse from internal unrest, economic disaster and foreign invasions.
Severus Alexander (208-235 CE) was cousin to Emperor Elagabalus, and his heir apparent. When Elagabalus was assassinated in 222 CE, the fourteen-year-old became emperor, under the auspice of his grandmother Julia Maesa, who had arranged for Alexander's accession just as she had done with Elagabalus before him.<br/><br/> Alexander quickly did much to correct the domestic troubles Elagabalus had caused, cleaning up the image of the imperial throne and improving the morals and dignity of the state. His reign was considered prosperous, but militarily, the Empire was faced against the rising threat of the Sassanid Empire in the east, as well as the tribes of Germania. It was during his campaign against the latter that Alexander would meet his end. His attempts to negotiate peace with the Germanic tribes through bribery and diplomacy alienated many in the Roman Army, and ultimately led to his assassination in 235 CE.<br/><br/> His death saw the end of the Severan dynasty and marked the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century, which resulted in nearly 50 years of civil wars, foreign invasions and economic collapse throughout the Empire.
Severus Alexander (208-235 CE) was cousin to Emperor Elagabalus, and his heir apparent. When Elagabalus was assassinated in 222 CE, the fourteen-year-old became emperor, under the auspice of his grandmother Julia Maesa, who had arranged for Alexander's accession just as she had done with Elagabalus before him.<br/><br/> Alexander quickly did much to correct the domestic troubles Elagabalus had caused, cleaning up the image of the imperial throne and improving the morals and dignity of the state. His reign was considered prosperous, but militarily, the Empire was faced against the rising threat of the Sassanid Empire in the east, as well as the tribes of Germania. It was during his campaign against the latter that Alexander would meet his end. His attempts to negotiate peace with the Germanic tribes through bribery and diplomacy alienated many in the Roman Army, and ultimately led to his assassination in 235 CE.<br/><br/> His death saw the end of the Severan dynasty and marked the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century, which resulted in nearly 50 years of civil wars, foreign invasions and economic collapse throughout the Empire.
Born as Lucius Septimius Bassianus (188-217 CE) but renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus after his father's union with the families of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, he gained his agnomen Caracalla from a Gallic hooded tunic which he often wore. Eldest son of Emperor Septimius Severus, he reigned jointly with his father from 198 CE until his father's death in 211 CE. He then became joint emperor with his younger brother Geta, but he quickly murdered his brother less than a year into their joint rule.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign was marked by continued assaults from the Germanic peoples as well as constant domestic instability. Caracalla was famed for enacting the Edict of Caracalla, also known as the Antonine Constitution, which granted Roman citizenship to almost all the freemen living throughout the Empire. He was also known for his establishment of a new Roman currency, the <i>antoninianus</i>, as well as building the Baths of Caracalla, the second largest in Rome. In terms of infamy, Caracalla was known for his massacres against the Roman people and other citizens of the Empire.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign ended in 217 CE, after he had instigated a new campaign against the Parthian Empire. Caracalla had stopped briefly to urinate when a soldier approached him and stabbed him to death, incensed by Caracalla's refusal to grant him the position of Centurion. Caracalla would be posthumously known for his savage cruelty and treachery, as well as for murdering his own brother and his brother's supporters.
Born as Lucius Septimius Bassianus (188-217 CE) but renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus after his father's union with the families of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, he gained his agnomen Caracalla from a Gallic hooded tunic which he often wore. Eldest son of Emperor Septimius Severus, he reigned jointly with his father from 198 CE until his father's death in 211 CE. He then became joint emperor with his younger brother Geta, but he quickly murdered his brother less than a year into their joint rule.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign was marked by continued assaults from the Germanic peoples as well as constant domestic instability. Caracalla was famed for enacting the Edict of Caracalla, also known as the Antonine Constitution, which granted Roman citizenship to almost all the freemen living throughout the Empire. He was also known for his establishment of a new Roman currency, the <i>antoninianus</i>, as well as building the Baths of Caracalla, the second largest in Rome. In terms of infamy, Caracalla was known for his massacres against the Roman people and other citizens of the Empire.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign ended in 217 CE, after he had instigated a new campaign against the Parthian Empire. Caracalla had stopped briefly to urinate when a soldier approached him and stabbed him to death, incensed by Caracalla's refusal to grant him the position of Centurion. Caracalla would be posthumously known for his savage cruelty and treachery, as well as for murdering his own brother and his brother's supporters.
Born as Lucius Septimius Bassianus (188-217 CE) but renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus after his father's union with the families of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, he gained his agnomen Caracalla from a Gallic hooded tunic which he often wore. Eldest son of Emperor Septimius Severus, he reigned jointly with his father from 198 CE until his father's death in 211 CE. He then became joint emperor with his younger brother Geta, but he quickly murdered his brother less than a year into their joint rule.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign was marked by continued assaults from the Germanic peoples as well as constant domestic instability. Caracalla was famed for enacting the Edict of Caracalla, also known as the Antonine Constitution, which granted Roman citizenship to almost all the freemen living throughout the Empire. He was also known for his establishment of a new Roman currency, the <i>antoninianus</i>, as well as building the Baths of Caracalla, the second largest in Rome. In terms of infamy, Caracalla was known for his massacres against the Roman people and other citizens of the Empire.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign ended in 217 CE, after he had instigated a new campaign against the Parthian Empire. Caracalla had stopped briefly to urinate when a soldier approached him and stabbed him to death, incensed by Caracalla's refusal to grant him the position of Centurion. Caracalla would be posthumously known for his savage cruelty and treachery, as well as for murdering his own brother and his brother's supporters.
The largest Roman imperial cameo to have survived, the Great Cameo of France is engraved with fwenty-four figures from the Julio-Claudian dynasty.</br/><br/> The upper levels of the cameo show deceased and/or deified members of the dynasty, such as Divus Augustus (Augustus Caesar), Drusus the Younger (son of Tiberius Caesar) and Drusus the Elder (brother of Tiberius Caesar). The middle tier shows Tiberius Caesar alongside his mother Livia Drusilla (wife of Augustus Caesar) and his designated heir Germanicus. Behind Tiberius and Livius are Claudius Caesar (who was emperor when the cameo was made) and his fourth wife Agrippina the Younger.
Born Livia Drusilla (58 BCE - 29 CE) but later known as Julia Drusilla after her adoption into the Julian family in 14 CE, Livia was Emperor Augustus' third wife and his spouse throughout his reign as emperor. She was granted the honorific title of Augusta. The mother of Tiberius, paternal grandmother to Claudius, paternal great-grandmother of Caligula, and maternal great-great-grandmother of Nero, she was deified by Claudius after her death.<br/><br/> She was known throughout her life for her influence and her capacity as privileged advisor and counselor to both Augustus and Tiberius later in life, and her and Augustus became the role model for proper Roman households. She was also ambitious, pushing her sons to power, with rumours that she ordered the assassinations of all rival claimants to emperor.<br/><br/> During Tiberius' early reign, Livius held unofficial but very real power, but their relationship would later sour, Tiberius becoming resentful of the idea that she had given him the throne. She finally died of illness in 29 CE, with Tiberius refusing to attend her funeral and vetoing all honours the Senate wished to grant her posthumously. Her honours would later be restored during the reign of her grandson Claudius.
The third of the emperors to rule during the tumultuous Year of the Four Emperors, Vitellius first started his career as Consul in 48 CE, and was eventually given command of the armies of Germania Inferior by Emperor Galba. From there he began his bid for power against Galba and the other claimants.<br/><br/> He successfully led a military revolution against Galba's successor Otho in 69 CE, marching into Rome and becoming Emperor, though he was never acknowledged as such in the entire Roman world. His men were said to be licentious and rough, with Rome becoming embroiled in massacres and riots, decadent feasts and gladiatorial shows. Vitellius himself was described as lazy and self-indulgent, an obese glutton and a hedonist.<br/><br/> In July 69 CE, Vitellius learned that the eastern provinces had declared a rival emperor, Commander Vespasian. Following more provinces declaring for Vespasian and mass desertions among his own adherents, Vitellius resigned as emperor in December 69 CE. He was executed by Vespasian's men upon their arrival to Rome. His reign lasted 8 months.
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), in the U.S. often known simply as Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War.<br/><br/> A close friend of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson, Lafayette was a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830.
François-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778), known by his nom de plume Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state.<br/><br/> Voltaire was a versatile writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poems, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets. He was an outspoken advocate, despite the risk this placed him in under the strict censorship laws of the time. As a satirical polemicist, he frequently made use of his works to criticize intolerance, religious dogma, and the French institutions of his day.
François-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778), known by his nom de plume Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state.<br/><br/> Voltaire was a versatile writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poems, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets. He was an outspoken advocate, despite the risk this placed him in under the strict censorship laws of the time. As a satirical polemicist, he frequently made use of his works to criticize intolerance, religious dogma, and the French institutions of his day.
Claudius was the first Roman emperor to be born outside of Italy, and he was ostracised and exempted from public office for much of his life due to slight deafness and being afflicted with a limp. It was his infirmity that would save him from the noble purges that occurred during the reigns of Tiberius and Caligula, as he was not seen as a serious threat.<br/><br/> Due to being the last surviving man of the Julio-Claudian family, Claudius was declared emperor by the Praetorian Guard after their assassination of Caligula. Despite his only previous experience being sharing a consulship with his nephew Caligula in 37 CE, he proved to be a capable administrator, as well as an ambitious builder across the Empire. The conquest of Britain began under his reign, and his seeming vulnerability meant that Claudius often had to shore up his position, usually through the deaths of rival senators and nobles.<br/><br/> He was succeeded after his death in 54 CE by his adopted son, Nero.
Victor Marie Hugo 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. He is considered one of the greatest and best known French writers. In France, Hugo's literary fame comes first from his poetry but also rests upon his novels and his dramatic achievements. Among many volumes of poetry, Les Contemplations and La Légende des siècles stand particularly high in critical esteem.<br/><br/> Outside France, his best-known works are the acclaimed novels Les Miserables, 1862, and Notre-Dame de Paris, 1831 (known in English as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame). He also produced more than 4,000 drawings, which have since been admired for their beauty, and earned widespread respect as a campaigner for social causes such as the abolition of the death penalty.<br/><br/> Though a committed royalist when he was young, Hugo's views changed as the decades passed, and he became a passionate supporter of republicanism; his work touches upon most of the political and social issues and artistic trends of his time. He was buried in the Pantheon. His legacy has been honored in many ways, including his portrait being placed on francs.
Nok culture appeared in Northern Nigeria around 1000 BCE and vanished under unknown circumstances around 300 CE in the region of West Africa. It is thought to have been the product of an ancestral nation that branched to create the Hausa, Gwari, Birom, Kanuri, Nupe and Jukun peoples.<br/><br/> The Nok social system is thought to have been highly advanced. Nok culture is considered to be one of the earliest African producers of life-sized Terracotta figures.
Geta (189-211 CE) was the younger son of Emperor Septimius Severus, born in Rome during the reign of Emperor Commodus. Geta fought often with his older brother Caracalla, and would require the mediation of their mother Julia Domna. Septimius Severus named Geta 'Augustus' in 209, making him a co-emperor alongside Caracalla, who had been named co-emperor over 10 years ago, in 198 CE.<br/><br/> Septimius Severus died in early 211 CE, with Geta and Caracalla declared joint emperors and ordered back to Rome. Their hatred and rivalry of one another did not abate though, and there were even talks about splitting the empire in two halves so that they could rule peacefully, before their mother talked them out of it. The situation became so hostile that Carcalla tried to unsuccessfully murder Geta once, before finally succeeding a second time when he had his mother arrange a peace meeting and having his centurions murder Geta in his mother's arms.<br/><br/> After Geta's death, Caracalla had him declared 'damnatio memoriae', with every statue, portrait or painting of him destroyed, and his very name was banned from being spoken or written. Over 20,000 people were killed on Caracalla's orders after he attempted to remove any political enemies and those he considered allies of Geta.
François-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778), known by his nom de plume Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state.<br/><br/> Voltaire was a versatile writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poems, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets. He was an outspoken advocate, despite the risk this placed him in under the strict censorship laws of the time. As a satirical polemicist, he frequently made use of his works to criticize intolerance, religious dogma, and the French institutions of his day.
The smallest country in South America, Suriname's diversity began in the 16th century when French, Spanish and English explorers visited the area. A century later, plantation colonies were established by the Dutch and English along the many rivers in the fertile Guyana plains.<br/><br/> Disputes arose—as ever—between the Dutch and the English. In 1667, the Dutch decided to keep the nascent plantation colony of Suriname from the English, resulting from the Treaty of Breda. The English were left with New Amsterdam, a small trading post in North America, which later became New York City.<br/><br/> As a plantation colony, Surinam was still heavily dependent on manual labor, and to make up for the shortfall, the Dutch brought in contract laborers from the Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia) and India (through an arrangement with the British). In addition, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, small numbers of mostly men were brought in from China and the Middle East. Although Suriname's population remains relatively small, because of this unique history it is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse countries in the world.
Francois-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 - 30 May 1778), more commonly known by his <i>nom de plume</i> Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment historian, philosopher and writer. He was famous for his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of speech and separation of church and state, often attacking the Catholic Church through his wit and writings.<br/><br/> Voltaire was a prolific and versatile writer, with more than 20,000 letters and over 2,000 books and pamphlets to his name, as well as plays, poems, essays and historical and scientific works. Despite the strict censorship laws of the time, Voltaire often spoke up in favour of civil liberties, and regularly used satire to criticise intolerance, religious dogma and other pillars of French institutions of his day.
Victor Marie Hugo 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. He is considered one of the greatest and best known French writers. In France, Hugo's literary fame comes first from his poetry but also rests upon his novels and his dramatic achievements. Among many volumes of poetry, Les Contemplations and La Légende des siècles stand particularly high in critical esteem.<br/><br/> Outside France, his best-known works are the acclaimed novels Les Miserables, 1862, and Notre-Dame de Paris, 1831 (known in English as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame). He also produced more than 4,000 drawings, which have since been admired for their beauty, and earned widespread respect as a campaigner for social causes such as the abolition of the death penalty.<br/><br/> Though a committed royalist when he was young, Hugo's views changed as the decades passed, and he became a passionate supporter of republicanism; his work touches upon most of the political and social issues and artistic trends of his time. He was buried in the Pantheon. His legacy has been honored in many ways, including his portrait being placed on francs.
Francois-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 - 30 May 1778), more commonly known by his <i>nom de plume</i> Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment historian, philosopher and writer. He was famous for his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of speech and separation of church and state, often attacking the Catholic Church through his wit and writings.<br/><br/> Voltaire was a prolific and versatile writer, with more than 20,000 letters and over 2,000 books and pamphlets to his name, as well as plays, poems, essays and historical and scientific works. Despite the strict censorship laws of the time, Voltaire often spoke up in favour of civil liberties, and regularly used satire to criticise intolerance, religious dogma and other pillars of French institutions of his day.
Born as Lucius Septimius Bassianus (188-217 CE) but renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus after his father's union with the families of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, he gained his agnomen Caracalla from a Gallic hooded tunic which he often wore. Eldest son of Emperor Septimius Severus, he reigned jointly with his father from 198 CE until his father's death in 211 CE. He then became joint emperor with his younger brother Geta, but he quickly murdered his brother less than a year into their joint rule.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign was marked by continued assaults from the Germanic peoples as well as constant domestic instability. Caracalla was famed for enacting the Edict of Caracalla, also known as the Antonine Constitution, which granted Roman citizenship to almost all the freemen living throughout the Empire. He was also known for his establishment of a new Roman currency, the <i>antoninianus</i>, as well as building the Baths of Caracalla, the second largest in Rome. In terms of infamy, Caracalla was known for his massacres against the Roman people and other citizens of the Empire.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign ended in 217 CE, after he had instigated a new campaign against the Parthian Empire. Caracalla had stopped briefly to urinate when a soldier approached him and stabbed him to death, incensed by Caracalla's refusal to grant him the position of Centurion. Caracalla would be posthumously known for his savage cruelty and treachery, as well as for murdering his own brother and his brother's supporters.
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), in the U.S. often known simply as Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War.<br/><br/> A close friend of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson, Lafayette was a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830.
Born Tiberius Claudius Nero, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla, he became step-son of Octavian (later to become Augustus, first emperor of Rome) after his mother was forced to divorce Nero and marry him.<br/><br/> Tiberius would eventually marry Augustus' daughter from his previous marriage, Julia the Elder, and later be adopted by Augustus, officially becoming a Julian, bearing the name Tiberius Julius Caesar.<br/><br/> In relations to the other emperors of this dynasty, Tiberius was the stepson of Augustus, grand-uncle of Caligula, paternal uncle of Claudius, and great-grand uncle of Nero.<br/><br/> Tiberius was one of Rome's greatest generals, with his conquest of Pannonia, Dalmatia, Raetia, and temporarily, parts of Germania, creating the foundations for the empire's northern frontier. However, he came to be known as a dark, reclusive, and sombre ruler who never really desired to be emperor; Pliny the Elder called him <i>tristissimus hominum</i>, 'the gloomiest of men'.
Francois-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 - 30 May 1778), more commonly known by his <i>nom de plume</i> Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment historian, philosopher and writer. He was famous for his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of speech and separation of church and state, often attacking the Catholic Church through his wit and writings.<br/><br/> Voltaire was a prolific and versatile writer, with more than 20,000 letters and over 2,000 books and pamphlets to his name, as well as plays, poems, essays and historical and scientific works. Despite the strict censorship laws of the time, Voltaire often spoke up in favour of civil liberties, and regularly used satire to criticise intolerance, religious dogma and other pillars of French institutions of his day.
The Tonkin Campaign (French: Campagne du Tonkin) was an armed conflict fought between June 1883 and April 1886 by the French against, variously, the Vietnamese, Liu Yongfu's Black Flag Army and the Chinese Guangxi and Yunnan armies to occupy Tonkin (northern Vietnam) and entrench a French protectorate there.<br/><br/> The campaign, complicated in August 1884 by the outbreak of the Sino-French War and in July 1885 by the Can Vuong nationalist uprising in Annam, which required the diversion of large numbers of French troops, was conducted by the Tonkin Expeditionary Corps, supported by the gunboats of the Tonkin Flotilla. The campaign officially ended in April 1886, when the expeditionary corps was reduced in size to a division of occupation, but Tonkin was not effectively pacified until 1896.
Colonel Sir Mark Sykes, 6th Baronet (born Tatton Benvenuto Mark Sykes; 16 March 1879 – 16 February 1919) was an English traveller, Conservative Party politician and diplomatic adviser, particularly about matters respecting the Middle East at the time of the First World War.<br/><br/> He is associated with the Sykes-Picot Agreement, drawn up while the war was in progress, regarding the apportionment of postwar spheres of interest in the Ottoman Empire to Britain, France and Russia.<br/><br/> François Marie Denis Georges-Picot (Paris, 21 December 1870 – Paris, 20 June 1951), son of historian Georges Picot and grand-uncle of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, was a French diplomat who signed the Sykes-Picot Agreement during World War I, with the Englishman, Sir Mark Sykes, dividing up the Ottoman Empire into British, French and, later, Russian and Italian spheres of influence.<br/><br/> He was responsible along with Sykes for the annexation of Arab lands and their incorporation into British and French empires.
Formerly a hunting lodge, the court of Versailles was the centre of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a magnificent building, but as a symbol of absolute monarchy.
Selim III (Ottoman Turkish: سليم ثالث SelÄ«m-i sÄlis) (24 December 1761 – 28 or 29 July 1808) was the reform-minded Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1789 to 1807. The Janissaries eventually deposed and imprisoned him, and placed his cousin Mustafa on the throne as Mustafa IV.
Marie-Guillemine Benoist, born Marie-Guillemine de Laville-Leroux (December 18, 1768 – October 8, 1826), was a French neoclassical, historical and genre painter.<br/><br/> In 1800, she exhibited Portrait d'une négresse in the Salon de Paris. Six years previously, slavery had been abolished, and this image became a symbol for women's emancipation and black people's rights. The picture was acquired by Louis XVIII for France in 1818.
Ishtar is the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility, war, love, and sex. She is the counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to the cognate north-west Semitic goddess Astarte.<br/><br/> Ishtar was the god of love and war above all associated with sexuality: her cult involved sacred prostitution; her holy city Uruk was called the 'town of the sacred courtesans', and she herself was the 'courtesan of the gods'.<br/><br/> Ishtar was the daughter of Sin or Anu. She was particularly worshipped at the Assyrian cities of Nineveh, Ashur and Arbela (Erbil).
Marie Joseph François (Francis) Garnier (Vietnamese: Ngạc Nhi; 25 July 1839 – 21 December 1873) was a French officer and explorer known for his exploration of the Mekong River in Southeast Asia.<br/><br/> In 1873 Garnier was sent to Tonkin by Admiral Dupré, the governor of Cochinchina, to resolve a dispute between the Vietnamese authorities and the French entrepreneur Jean Dupuis. Persuaded that the time was ripe for a French conquest of Tonkin, Garnier captured Hanoi, the capital of Tonkin, 20 November 1873.<br/><br/> A few weeks later Liu Yongfu, a soldier of fortune, and 600 Black Flags attacked Hanoi. In the ensuing skirmish Garnier was killed. The French government disavowed Garnier's adventure and hastened to conclude a peace settlement with the Vietnamese.
Marie Joseph François (Francis) Garnier (Vietnamese: Ngạc Nhi; 25 July 1839 – 21 December 1873) was a French officer and explorer known for his exploration of the Mekong River in Southeast Asia.<br/><br/> In 1873 Garnier was sent to Tonkin by Admiral Dupré, the governor of Cochinchina, to resolve a dispute between the Vietnamese authorities and the French entrepreneur Jean Dupuis. Persuaded that the time was ripe for a French conquest of Tonkin, Garnier captured Hanoi, the capital of Tonkin, 20 November 1873.<br/><br/> A few weeks later Liu Yongfu, a soldier of fortune, and 600 Black Flags attacked Hanoi. In the ensuing skirmish Garnier was killed. The French government disavowed Garnier's adventure and hastened to conclude a peace settlement with the Vietnamese.
Joseph Marie Amiot was born at Toulon. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1737 and was sent in 1750 as a missionary to China. He soon won the confidence of the Qianlong Emperor and spent the remainder of his life at Beijing. He was a correspondent of the Académie des Sciences, official translator of Western languages for Emperor Qianlong, and the spiritual leader of the French mission in Peking. He died in Peking in 1793, two days after the departure of the British Macartney Embassy. He could not meet Lord Macartney, but exhorted him to patience in two letters, explaining that 'this world is the reverse of our own'. He used the Chinese name Qian Deming while he was in China.
Francois-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 - 30 May 1778), more commonly known by his <i>nom de plume</i> Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment historian, philosopher and writer. He was famous for his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of speech and separation of church and state, often attacking the Catholic Church through his wit and writings.<br/><br/> Voltaire was a prolific and versatile writer, with more than 20,000 letters and over 2,000 books and pamphlets to his name, as well as plays, poems, essays and historical and scientific works. Despite the strict censorship laws of the time, Voltaire often spoke up in favour of civil liberties, and regularly used satire to criticise intolerance, religious dogma and other pillars of French institutions of his day.
François-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778), known by his nom de plume Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state.<br/><br/> Voltaire was a versatile writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poems, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets. He was an outspoken advocate, despite the risk this placed him in under the strict censorship laws of the time. As a satirical polemicist, he frequently made use of his works to criticize intolerance, religious dogma, and the French institutions of his day.
This cylindrical pyxis - a kind of casket - was carved in 968 for Prince al-Mughira (son of the deceased Caliph Abd al-Rahman III and half-brother of the reigning Caliph al-Hakam). It is the finest example of the luxury ivory objects made for the members of the court of Madinat al-Zahra (the caliph's residence and city of government, established near Cordoba in 936).<br/><br/> Its four richly-decorated medallions are linked by borders of delicately pierced foliage, and this composition is reflected on the lid, whose medallions feature peacocks, falcons, lions, and a rider. There are four scenes on the body of the box. In one of these, a lutanist is flanked by two cross-legged figures who look at each other rather suspiciously.<br/><br/> One holds a fan, the other a bottle (an emblem often associated with the king), and a braided vegetal scepter of the kind used by the Umayyad Dynasty. The other images, such as that of a bull attacked by a lion, are all doubled. Some curious little scenes show back-to-back figures stealing eggs from falcons' nests, with dogs biting their ankles, and the final medallion portrays riders picking bunches of dates.