Inez de Castro was a Portuguese noble lady. She was a lady of noble birth, secretly married to Pedro, son of Alphonso IV, the king of Portugal, after the death of his wife Constantia in 1345. The old king Alphonso IV, fearful that this marriage would injure the interests of his grandson Ferdinand (the son of Pedro by his deceased wife), resolved to put Inez to death. Three noblemen, Diego Lopez Pacheco, Pedro Coelho, and Alvarez Gonsalvez, were his counsellors in this scheme, and carried it out themselves by stabbing Inez within the convent where she lived in 1355. Two years after King Alphonso IV died, and Pedro, inducing the king of Castile to give up to him two of the murderers, who had taken refuge there - the third, Diego Lopez, having managed to escape - put them to death with cruel tortures. The king then made public declaration of the marriage that had taken place between him and the deceased Inez; and had her corpse disinterred and placed on a throne, adorned with the diadem and royal robes, to receive the homage of the nobility. The body was then conveyed to Alcobaga and buried with great honours. The history of the unhappy Inez has furnished many poets of different nations with materials for tragedies, and her story is one of the finest episodes in the Lusiads of Camoens. Research Inez de Castro
John Cantacuzenus was a Byzantine emperor and historian. He was born about 1300. He was minister of Andronicus III, on whose death he became regent during the minority of John Palasologus. He defeated the Bulgarians and Turks, assumed the diadem, and entered Constantinople (Istanbul) in triumph in 1346. After an honourable reign he retired to a monastery in 1355, where he employed himself in composing a Byzantine history and other works, chiefly theological. Research John Cantacuzenus
Caius Julius (more popular known as Julius Caesar or Caesar) was a great Roman general, statesman, and historian. He was born in 100 BC and died in 44. He was the son of the praetor Caius Julius Caesar, and of Aurelia, a daughter of Aurelius Cotta. At the age of sixteen he lost his father, and shortly after he married Cornelia, the daughter of Lucius Cinna, the friend of Marius. This connection gave great offence to Sulla, the dictator, who proscribed him for refusing to put away his wife. His friends obtained his pardon with difficulty, and Caesar withdrew from Rome, and went to Asia, serving his first campaign under M. Minucius Thermus, the praetor in Asia.
On the death of Sulla, Caesar returned to Rome, where he distinguished himself as an orator. He afterwards visited Rhodes, when he was taken by pirates, and compelled to pay fifty talents for his release. To revenge himself, he fitted out some vessels at Miletus, overtook the pirates, made the greater number of them prisoners, and had them crucified before Pergamus. He now returned to Rome, where his eloquence and liberality made him very popular. He was pontifex maximus in 63 BC, praetor in 62 BC, and governor of Spain in 61 BC.
On his return to Rome, having united with Pompey and Marcus Crassus in the memorable coalition called 'the first triumvirate,' he became consul, and then obtained the government of Gaul with the command of four legions.
His military career was rapid and brilliant. He compelled the Helvetii, who had invaded Gaul, to retreat to their native country, subdued Ariovistus, who at the head of a German tribe had attempted to settle in the country of the AEdui, and conquered the Belgae. In nine years he reduced all Gaul, crossed the Rhine twice (in 55 BC and 53 BC), and twice passed over to Britain, defeated the gallant natives of this island in several battles, and compelled them to give him hostages.
The senate had continued his government in Gaul for another period of five years, while Pompey was to have the command of Spain, and Marcus Crassus that of Syria, Egypt, and Macedonia for five years also. But the death of Marcus Crassus in his campaign against the Parthians dissolved the triumvirate; and about the same time the friendship between Caesar and Pompey cooled. The senate, influenced by Pompey, ordered that Caesar should resign his offices and command within a certain time, or be proclaimed an enemy to the state, and appointed Pompey general of the army of the Republic. Upon this Csesar urged his soldiers to defend the honour of their leader, passed the Rubicon (in 49 BC), and made himself master of Italy without striking a blow, Pompey retiring into Greece. Caesar then levied an army with the treasures of the state, and hastened into Spain, which he reduced to submission without coming to a pitched battle with Pompey's generals.
He next conquered Massilia (now Marseilles), and returned to Rome, where he was appointed dictator. He then followed Pompey into Greece, and defeated him at Pharsalia, from which Pompey escaped only to be assassinated in Egypt. In Rome the senate and the people strove eagerly to gain the favour of the victor. They appointed him consul for five years, dictator for a year, and tribune of the people for life. When his dictatorship had expired he caused himself to be chosen consul again, and without changing the ancient forms of government, ruled with almost unlimited power. In 46 BC he crossed to Africa, defeated the Pompeians Scipio and Cato at Thapsus, and returning to Rome he was received with the most striking marks of honour. The term of his dictatorship was prolonged to ten years, the office of censor conferred on him alone; his person was declared inviolable, and his statue placed beside that of Jupiter in the capitol.
He soon after was honoured with four several triumphs, made perpetual dictator, and received the title of imperator with full powers of sovereignty. In February, 44, he declined the diadem which Antony publicly offered him, and next morning his statues were decked with diadems. His glory, however, was short lived, for a conspiracy was set on foot by his enemy Cassius, and joined by many of his own friends, including M. Brutus; and, notwithstanding dark hints had been given to him of his danger, he attended a meeting of the senate on 15th (ides) March, 44 BC, and fell beneath the daggers of the conspirators.
Of his writings, we still possess the history of his wars with the Gauls and with Pompey. Caesar was undoubtedly the foremost man of all this world, being great as a statesman, a general, an orator, a historian, and an architect and engineer, and his assassination was brought about more by jealousy and envy than by real patriotism. Research Julius Caesar
A diadem was an ancient ornament of royalty. It was originally a head-band or fillet made of silk, linen, or wool, worn round the temples and forehead, the ends being tied behind and let fall on the neck, as seen in old representations of the diadem of the Indian Bacchus. Diadems were worn by the Romans instead of a crown. They were made of silk or wool, set with precious stones and consecrated to the gods. The term is also used as equivalent to crown or coronet. Research Diadem
The name Ariadne first occurs for a British warship in 1778.
HMS Ariadne was a British protected cruiser of the Diadem Class of 11000 tons displacement. The Ariadne had a top speed of 20 knots and was armed with sixteen 6-inch guns and nineteen smaller guns and three torpedo tubes. She was torpedoed and sunk in July 1917 during the Great War. Research Ariadne
HMS Diadem was a British Dido Class cruiser of 5700 tons displacement launched in 1942. HMS Diadem was powered by four Admiralty 3-drum type boilers providing a top speed of 33 knots. Armaments consisted of eight 5.25-inch guns, 40 mm and 20 mm anti-aircraft guns and six 21-inch torpedo tubes arranged in two triples. She carried a complement of 551. Research Diadem
In heraldry, a diadem is an arch rising from the rim of a crown (also sometimes, but rarely of a coronet), and uniting with others over its centre. Research Diadem
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Inez de Castro
