Callmiachus was a Greek poet and grammarian. He was born at Cyrene, in Libya, of a noble family and lived about 250 BC. He taught at Alexandria, and was appointed by Ptolemy Philadelphus librarian of the AlexandrineMuseum. He wrote an epicpoem called Galatea, several prose works, and tragedies, elegies, comedies, etc, but only some seventy-two epigrams and six hymns remain.
Callmiachus was a Greek architect and artist. He lived about 400 BC, and was the reputed originator of the Corinthian column. Research Callmiachus
Jacob Cats was a Dutch diplomat and poet. He was born in 1577 and died after 1652. He was one of the fathers of the Dutch language and poetry. He studied at Leyden, Orleans, and Paris, and settled at Middelburg, where he produced his Emblems of Fancy and Love, Galatea, The Mirror of Past and Present, etc. In 1627 and 1631 he was ambassador to England, where he was knighted by Charles I, and from 1636 to 1652 he was grand-pensioner of Holland. He represents the best side of the prosaic Flemish genius of the period, and his many works had a wide and prolonged popularity. Research Jacob Cats
John Gay was an English dramatist and poet. He was born in 1685 at Barnstaple and died in 1732. He published his first poem, 'Wine' in 1708. Apprenticed to a silk mercer in London, in 1712 he became secretary to Anne, Duchess of Monmouth. In 1713 he published his Rural Sports, which he dedicated to Pope, with whom he formed a close friendship. In 1714 his caricature of Ambrose Philips' pastoral poetry was published, under the title of the Shepherd's Week, and dedicated to LordBolingbroke, by whose interest he was appointed secretary to the Earl of Clarendon, in his embassy to the court of Hanover. His mock-heroic poem, Trivia, or the Art of Walking the Streets of London, appeared in 1715, and in that year also was acted his burlesquedrama of What d'ye Call It? but his next piece, the farce Three Hours after Marriage, altogether failed. In 1720 he published his poems by subscription, in 1724 his tragedy, The Captives, and in 1727 his well-known Fables. His Beggar's Opera, the notion of which seems to have been afforded by Swift, was first acted in 1728, at Lincoln's Inn Fields, where it ran for sixty-three nights, but the lord-chamberlain refused to license for performance a second part entitled Polly. He also wrote the pastoralAcis and Galatea and the operaAchilles. The closing years of his life were mostly spent in the house of the Duke of Queensberry. Research John Gay
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish writer. He was born in 1547 at Acala de Henares and died in 1616. He was the author of the book Don Quixote de la Mancha.
He removed to Madrid at the age of seven and commenced writing verses at an early age, his pastoral Filena attracted the notice of Cardinal Acquaviva, whom he accompanied to Italy as a page. In 1570 he served under Colonna in the war against the Turks and African corsairs, and in the battle of Lepanto of 1571 he lost the use of his left hand. After this he joined the troops at Naples, in the service of the Spanish king, winning the highest reputation as a soldier. In 1575, while returning to his country, he was taken by the corsair Arnaut Mami, and sold in Algiers as a slave - a condition in which he remained for seven years, displaying great fortitude. In 1580 his friends and relations at length ransomed him, and, rejoining his old regiment, he fought in the naval battle and subsequent storming of Terceira. In 1583, however, he retired from service, and recommenced his literary work, publishing in 1584 his pastoralGalatea. In the same year he married, and lived for a long time by writing for the stage, to which he contributed between twenty and thirty plays, of which two only have survived.
F'rom 1588 to 1599 he lived retired at Seville, where he held a small office. He did not appear again as an author until 1605, when he produced the first part of Don Quixote, a work having, as its immediate aim, the satirical treatment of the novels of chivalry then popular, but embodying at the same time human types of cosmopolitan interest, and having a profounder bearing upon life than its expressobject covered.
In 1613 his twelve Exemplary Novels (his best work after Don Quixote), in 1614 his Journey to Parnassus, and in 1615 eight new dramas, with intermezzos, were published. In 1614 an unknown writer published, under the name of Alonzo Fernandez de Avellaneda, a continuation of Don Quixote, full of abuse of Cervantes, who thereupon published the real continuation, which was the last work of his issued during his lifetime. His novel Persiles and Sigismunda was published after his death. Research Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Prince Alfred Ernest Albert Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was the second son of Queen Victoria. He was born in 1844 at Windsor Castle and died in 1900. At the age of fourteen he joined the navy as naval cadet, and served on various foreign stations. In 1862 be declined the offer of the throne of Greece. On his majority he received 15,000 pounds a year from parliament, and was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Kent, and Earl of Ulster. In 1867 he was appointed to the command of the frigateGalatea, in which he visited Australia, Japan, China, India, etc. In 1873 he received an additional annuity of 10,000 pounds, and next year he married the Grand-duchess Marie, only daughter of the Emperor of Russia. In 1882 he was made a vice-admiral, and subsequently held important commands. In 1893 he succeeded his uncle as ruler of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and resigned his annuity of 15,000 pounds. He had one son (who predeceased him) and four daughters. Research Prince Alfred
In Greek mythology, Acis was a beautiful shepherd of Sicily. He was the son of Faunus and a river nymph. He loved the sea-nymph Galatea and was killed by his jealous rivalPolyphemus, who crushed him under a huge rock. According to Sicillian tradition he was then turned into the river of the same name which runs at the foot of Mount Etna, or else his escaping blood turned into the river which now bears his name. Research Acis
In Greek mythology Polyphemus was the most famous of the Cyclops. He is described as a giant cannibal living alone in a cave on MountEtna. Odysseus and his companions unwarily sheltered in his cave, and Polyphemus killed and ate four of them before Odysseus intoxicated him with wine and when he fell asleep poked his eye out with a blazing stake. Polyphemus was also the despised lover of Galatea. Research Polyphemus
Galatea is a strong twill-weave cotton fabric, striped or plain, used for clothing. It was named after the man- of-war H.M.S. Galatea, and the fabric was at one time in demand for use in making children's sailor suits. Research Galatea
The Galatea was an Italian Sirena Class coastal submarine of 590 tons displacement launched in 1933. The Galatea was powered by diesel engines providing a top speed of 14 knots surfaced and 8.5 knots submerged and could dive to a depth of 50 fathoms. She carried a complement of 41 and was armed with one 3.9 inch gun; two 13 mm anti-aircraft guns and six 21 inch torpedo tubes. Research Galatea
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Callmiachus
