Philostratus the Lemnian was an ancient Greek writer, son-in-law of Flavius Philostratus. He was the author of a letter to Aspasius of Ravenna and of the first series of the Imagines in two books, discussing, in elegant and sophisticated prose, 65 real or imaginary paintings on mythological themes

Philostratus the Lemnian: Philostratus the Younger, grandson of Philostratus the Lemnian, wrote a second, shorter series of Imagines in the 3rd century ad.

Flavius Philostratus was a Greek writer of Roman imperial times who studied at Athens and some time after ad 202 entered the circle of the philosophical Syrian empress of Rome, Julia Domna. On her death he settled in Tyre. Philostratus’s works include Gymnastikos, a treatise dealing with athletic

Alexander the Great: Campaign eastward to Central Asia: Philotas, Parmenio’s son, commander of the elite Companion cavalry, was implicated in an alleged plot against Alexander’s life, condemned by the army, and executed; and a secret message was sent to Cleander, Parmenio’s second in command, who obediently assassinated him. This ruthless action excited widespread…

Beth Yerah: …may be the location of Philoteria, a town built by Ptolemy II of Philadelphus, and Sennabris, identified by the ancient Jewish historian Josephus as the northernmost point of the Jordan valley.

Russian literature: Works reflecting Muscovite power: Particularly important is the monk Philotheus’ (Filofei’s) epistle to Vasily III (written between 1514 and 1521), which proclaimed that, with the fall of Constantinople (the second Rome), Moscow became the third (and last) Rome. Along with the title tsar (caesar) and the claim that Orthodox Russia was the only remaining…

Philotheus Kokkinos was a theologian, monk, and patriarch of Constantinople, a leader of the Byzantine monastic and religious revival in the 14th century. His numerous theological, liturgical, and canonical works received wide circulation not only in Byzantium but throughout the Slavic Orthodox

Philoxenus of Mabbug: …literary heritage, particularly with the Philoxenian New Testament based on the original Greek text.

Philoxenus of Mabbug was a Syrian bishop, theologian, and classical author. He was a leader of the Jacobite miaphysite church, a group that taught the existence of a single subject in Christ, the Logos, and followed the theology of Cyril of Alexandria (c. 375–444). He also contributed significantly

Justin Trudeau: SNC-Lavalin affair: Two days earlier, Jane Philpott, the Treasury Board president and one of the most respected members of Trudeau’s cabinet, resigned her post, saying, “Sadly, I have lost confidence in how the government has dealt with this matter and in how it has responded to the issues raised,” an…

Daniel-François-Esprit Auber: …works of Giacomo Meyerbeer, Auber’s Le Philtre (1831) provided the dramatic basis for Gaetano Donizetti’s Elisir d’amore (1832; The Elixir of Love), and Auber’s Gustave III (1833) gave Giuseppe Verdi his story for Un ballo in maschera (1859; A Masked Ball).

volcano: Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, 1991: Nevertheless, scientists at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) took the awakening of Pinatubo very seriously, knowing that the longer the repose between eruptions, the more dangerous a volcano may be. The area surrounding the volcano included densely populated regions. Clark Air Base, a major U.S. Air…

Commelinales: …especially members of Pontederiaceae and Philydraceae.

Angkor: History: …pyramid temples), such as the Phimeanakas of Suryavarman I (reigned c. 1000–50); the Baphuon of Udayadityavarman II (reigned 1050–66); and the Buddhist temple of Bayon, which was the central temple built by Jayavarman VII when he gave the city, which was later known as Angkor Thom, or “Great City,” its…

reproductive system disease: In the male: …of the foreskin is congenital phimosis, characterized by a contracture of the foreskin, or prepuce, which prevents its retraction over the glans (the conical structure that forms the head of the penis); the preputial opening may impede the flow of urine. The condition is treated by circumcision.

Ali Wong: Career: …the Internet (2018), Onward, and Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe (both 2020), and from 2019 to 2022 she voiced the role of Roberta (“Bertie”) Songthrush in 30 episodes of the animated sitcom Tuca & Bertie. Wong also lent her voice to roles in several other animated…

Phineas Finn, novel by Anthony Trollope, first published serially from October 1867 to May 1869 and in two volumes in 1869. It is the second of the Palliser novels. Trollope based some of the parliamentary characters who appear in the novel on real-life counterparts; three of the main characters

Phineas Finn, novel by Anthony Trollope, first published serially from October 1867 to May 1869 and in two volumes in 1869. It is the second of the Palliser novels. Trollope based some of the parliamentary characters who appear in the novel on real-life counterparts; three of the main characters

Phineas Redux, novel by Anthony Trollope, first published serially from July 1873 to January 1874 and in two volumes in 1874. It is a sequel to Phineas Finn and the fourth of the Palliser novels. The narrative begins after Finn’s wife, Mary, has died in childbirth. He resumes his political career

Hebrew literature: Piyyuṭim: …that the most outstanding poets—Phineas the Priest, Yose ben Yose, Yannai, and Eleazar ha-Kalir, or ben Kalir—lived in that order, but when or where in Palestine any of them lived is not known. The accepted datings are 3rd century and 5th–6th century ad. Many piyyuṭim are still used in…

biblical literature: Events in Edom and Moab: Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, is so incensed at the sight of an Israelite consorting with a Midianite woman that he kills them both, thus ending a plague that has broken out and earning God’s special favor: a covenant of perpetual priesthood with him and…

Argonaut: …Euxine Sea the Argonauts met Phineus, the blind and aged king whose food was constantly polluted by the Harpies. After being freed by the winged sons of Boreas, Phineus told them the course to Colchis and how to pass through the Symplegades, or Cyanean rocks—two cliffs that moved on their…

jumping spider: Physical description: …and females of the species Phintella vittata are able to detect ultraviolet light from the UVB band (315–280 nm) and have specialized surfaces on their bodies to reflect it. The reflection of UVB radiation by males during courtship has been shown to enhance their ability to attract females. Peacock spiders…

Bangkok National Museum, art gallery and archaeological museum housed in the former Royal Palace (built in 1782) and devoted to the major arts of Thailand. Established by King Mongkut (Rama IV) in 1851 to house his private antiques collections and opened to the public by Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in

Pittsburgh: The contemporary city: Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (1893), which covers 15 acres (6 hectares), is noted for its extensive greenhouses. The city’s zoo, in the northeastern Highland Park neighbourhood, includes an aquarium. Two new sports venues opened in 2001 on the north bank of the Allegheny opposite…

Louis de Buade, comte de Frontenac: The attacking forces, led by Sir William Phips, were repulsed at Quebec by the French under Frontenac, who distinguished himself by his prudent tactics.

Louis de Buade, comte de Frontenac: The attacking forces, led by Sir William Phips, were repulsed at Quebec by the French under Frontenac, who distinguished himself by his prudent tactics.

phishing, act of sending e-mail that purports to be from a reputable source, such as the recipient’s bank or credit card provider, and that seeks to acquire personal or financial information. The name derives from the idea of “fishing” for information. In phishing, typically a fraudulent e-mail

Phitsanulok, town, north-central Thailand. Phitsanulok lies along the Nan River and the Bangkok–Chiengmai railroad. It is also served by an airport and by a major highway to Sukhothai (west) and Khon Kaen (east). The commercial centre in the southern part of town deals in rice, cotton, and tobacco.

Phitsanulok, town, north-central Thailand. Phitsanulok lies along the Nan River and the Bangkok–Chiengmai railroad. It is also served by an airport and by a major highway to Sukhothai (west) and Khon Kaen (east). The commercial centre in the southern part of town deals in rice, cotton, and tobacco.

sphinx, mythological creature with a lion’s body and a human head, an important image in Egyptian and Greek art and legend. The word sphinx was derived by Greek grammarians from the verb sphingein (“to bind” or “to squeeze”), but the etymology is not related to the legend and is dubious. Hesiod,

Hablot Knight Browne was a British artist, preeminent as an interpreter and illustrator of Dickens’ characters. Browne was early apprenticed to the engraver William Finden, in whose studio his only artistic education was obtained. At the age of 19 he abandoned engraving in favour of other artistic

Khmer literature: French influence: …in Kambujasuriya in 1943, and Phka srabon (“The Faded Flower”) by Nou Hach, first serialized in the weekly newspaper Kambuja in 1947. In the former a hardworking but lowly gem miner wins the hand of the mine owner’s daughter after proving his courage and integrity, in part by saving her…

phlebitis, inflammation of the wall of a vein. Phlebitis may result from the infection of tissues adjacent to the vein, or it may result from trauma or from a surgical operation or childbirth. A long period of bed rest and an attendant lack of blood circulation may also cause phlebitis. Varicose

tunicate: Annotated classification: Order Phlebobranchia Gills with longitudinal vessels and bars, without folds; gonads on one side, near digestive tract. Subclass Pleurogona Gonads and digestive tract by side of gill. Order Stolidobranchia Gill with longitudinal vessels, folded.

phlebothrombosis, formation of a blood clot in a vein that is not inflamed. Inactivity, such as bed rest during convalescence, can lead to the condition, which frequently progresses to thrombophlebitis (q.v.), in which the clot adherent to the wall of the vein is accompanied by inflammation of the

sand fly, any insect of the family Phlebotomidae (sometimes considered part of the family Psychodidae) of the order Diptera. The aquatic larvae live in the intertidal zone of coastal beaches, in mud, or in wet organic debris. Sand flies are of considerable medical importance: around the

insect: Medical significance: …carried by the sand fly Phlebotomus. Sleeping sickness in humans and a group of cattle diseases that are widespread in Africa and known as nagana are caused by protozoan trypanosomes transmitted by the bites of tsetse flies (Glossina). Under nonsanitary conditions the common

pappataci fever, acute infectious febrile disease caused by a phlebovirus (family Bunyaviridae) and producing temporary incapacitation, marked initially by abdominal symptoms, severe frontal headache, chills, fever, and joint and muscle pain. It is transmitted to humans by the bloodsucking female

pappataci fever: …bloodsucking female sand fly (notably Phlebotomus papatasi, P. perniciosus, and P. perfiliewi) and is prevalent in the moist subtropical countries of the Eastern Hemisphere, particularly around the Mediterranean Sea, in the Middle East, and in parts of India.

bloodletting: Bloodletting in the modern world: Today, the word phlebotomy refers to the drawing of blood for use in diagnosis or for transfusions in conventional medicine. Phlebotomy is, arguably, a form of bloodletting—and sometimes the words are considered effectively synonymous—but the modern-day practice has nothing to do with the traditional purposes and techniques of…

bunyavirus: contains five genera: Orthobunyavirus, Phlebovirus, Nairovirus, Tospovirus, and Hantavirus. Most of these viruses are transmitted by arthropods (e.g., ticks, mosquitoes, and sand flies) and cause serious human disease, including certain types of

undersea exploration: Exploration of the seafloor and the Earth’s crust: …of coring device, the lightweight Phleger corer, takes samples only of the upper layer of the ocean bottom to a depth of about one metre. Deeper cores are taken by the piston corer. In this device, a closely fitted piston attached to the end of the lowering cable is installed…

humour: …four cardinal humours were blood, phlegm, choler (yellow bile), and melancholy (black bile); the variant mixtures of these humours in different persons determined their “complexions,” or “temperaments,” their physical and mental qualities, and their dispositions. The ideal person had the ideally proportioned mixture of the four; a predominance of one…

milk leg, inflammation of the femoral vein, the principal vein of the thigh, with formation of a clot that blocks the channel of the vein. The condition may occur shortly after childbirth, or it may result from the use of oral contraceptives. Other predisposing factors are aging, malignancy, and

humour: …was sanguine (Latin sanguis, “blood”), phlegmatic, choleric, or melancholic. Each complexion had specific characteristics, and the words carried much weight that they have since lost: e.g., the choleric man was not only quick to anger but also yellow-faced, lean, hairy, proud, ambitious, revengeful, and shrewd. By extension, “humour” in the…

timothy: Alpine, or mountain, timothy (Phleum alpinum) is about half as tall, with short, thick panicles. It occurs in wet places from Greenland to Alaska, and at high altitudes in many other parts of North America and Europe.

timothy, (Phleum pratense), perennial grass of the family Poaceae. Timothy is native to most of mainland Europe and is widely cultivated as a hay and a pasture grass in North America and the United Kingdom. The plant is named after American farmer Timothy Hanson, who promoted its use outside New

Jeanne-Marie Roland was the wife of Jean-Marie Roland, who directed her husband’s political career during the French Revolution, greatly influencing the policies of the moderate Girondin faction of bourgeois revolutionaries. Jeanne-Marie Phlipon was the daughter of a Paris engraver. Brilliant and

Jeanne-Marie Roland was the wife of Jean-Marie Roland, who directed her husband’s political career during the French Revolution, greatly influencing the policies of the moderate Girondin faction of bourgeois revolutionaries. Jeanne-Marie Phlipon was the daughter of a Paris engraver. Brilliant and

phloem, plant vascular tissue that conducts foods made in the leaves during photosynthesis to all other parts of the plant. Phloem is composed of various specialized cells called sieve elements, phloem fibres, and phloem parenchyma cells. Together with xylem (tissue that conducts water and minerals

bast fiber, soft woody fiber obtained from stems of dicotyledonous plants (flowering plants with net-veined leaves) and used for textiles and cordage. Such fibers, usually characterized by fineness and flexibility, are also known as “soft” fibers, distinguishing them from the coarser, less flexible

phloem: Phloem parenchyma cells, called transfer cells and border parenchyma cells, are located near the finest branches and terminations of sieve tubes in leaf veinlets, where they also function in the transport of foods. Companion cells, or albuminous cells in non-flowering vascular plants, are another specialized…

cloud rat: Giant cloud rats belong to the genus Phloeomys (two species), whereas bushy-tailed cloud rats are classified in the genus Crateromys (four species).

cloud rat: Giant cloud rats: It is easily distinguished from P. cumingi, which has short, dark brown fur. P. cumingi lives in southern Luzon and on the offshore island of Catanduanes. Both species are found from lowlands to mountains, where they nest in hollow trees and feed on tender young leaves. One young per year…

cloud rat: Giant cloud rats: Phloeomys pallidus, found in northern Luzon, has long, dense, soft fur of cream or pale gray interrupted by black or brown markings. It is easily distinguished from P. cumingi, which has short, dark brown fur. P. cumingi lives in southern Luzon and on the offshore…

phlogiston, in early chemical theory, hypothetical principle of fire, of which every combustible substance was in part composed. In this view, the phenomena of burning, now called oxidation, was caused by the liberation of phlogiston, with the dephlogisticated substance left as an ash or residue.

phlogopite, basic aluminosilicate of potassium, magnesium, and iron that is a member of the common mica group. Varieties that contain only small amounts of iron are economically important as electrical insulators. Phlogopite occurs typically as a metamorphic product (e.g., in crystalline

Coleoptera: Annotated classification: Family Phloiophilidae Rare; 1 species in Britain. Family Phycosecidae Few species; examples Phycosecis, Alfieriella; in Australia, Asia, Africa. Family Trogossitidae (bark-gnawing beetles) About 500 species,

Lamiaceae: Major genera and species: …100 species of the genus Phlomis is Jerusalem sage (P. tuberosa), which rises to almost 2 metres (6.5 feet) and has clusters of purple flowers. It is native to Eurasia and is naturalized in North America. One of the 40 species of the African genus Leonotis, klip dagga, or lion’s…

Lamiaceae: Major genera and species: …of the genus Phlomis is Jerusalem sage (P. tuberosa), which rises to almost 2 metres (6.5 feet) and has clusters of purple flowers. It is native to Eurasia and is naturalized in North America. One of the 40 species of the African genus Leonotis, klip dagga, or lion’s ear (L.…

Flórina, city and dímos (municipality), West Macedonia (Modern Greek: Dytikí Makedonía) periféreia (region), northwestern Greece. Originally a Byzantine foundation, it later passed to Ottoman control; by the 18th century, its population was chiefly Turkish and Albanian. In the 19th century, Flórina

phlox, (genus Phlox), genus of about 65 species of plants belonging to the family Polemoniaceae, admired both in gardens and in the wild for their clustered heads of flowers. All species but one from northeastern Asia are native to North America. Phlox plants are herbaceous and can be annuals or

phlox, (genus Phlox), genus of about 65 species of plants belonging to the family Polemoniaceae, admired both in gardens and in the wild for their clustered heads of flowers. All species but one from northeastern Asia are native to North America. Phlox plants are herbaceous and can be annuals or

phlox: Major species: Blue phlox (P. divaricata) is a spring-flowering woodland perennial growing up to 45 cm (1.5 feet) with blue to white flower clusters. Perennial phlox (P. pilosa), about the same height, bears red-purple flowers on hairy plants in summer in upland woods and prairies of central…

phlox: Major species: Annual phlox (P. drummondii) is a 45-cm (1.5-foot) branching plant with usually reddish purple blooms. It has given rise to many cultivated forms with petals of two colours and starlike shape. Blue phlox (P. divaricata) is a spring-flowering woodland perennial growing up to 45 cm…

Polemoniaceae, the phlox family of plants, comprising about 18 genera and some 385 species of flowering plants in the order Ericales. Members of the family are mostly in North America but also found in temperate parts of western South America and Eurasia. They include many popular garden

phlox: Major species: Summer phlox, also called fall phlox (Phlox paniculata), sometimes reaches more than 1.5 metres (5 feet) in height on straight stiff stems topped by reddish purple to white fragrant large flat flower heads. It grows in rich moist soils. Annual phlox (P. drummondii) is a…

phlox: Major species: Perennial phlox (P. pilosa), about the same height, bears red-purple flowers on hairy plants in summer in upland woods and prairies of central North America.

phlox: Major species: Moss pink, or creeping phlox (P. subulata), a low evergreen mat covered in early spring with blue, purple, pink, or white massed blooms, is native to sandy soil and rocky ledges in eastern North America. Moss pink is often grown as a garden perennial, creeping…

phlyakes, farces adopted from Greek Middle Comedy plays and especially popular in southern Italy in the 4th and 3rd centuries bce. Known principally from vase paintings, these burlesques of tragedy, myth, and daily life were given literary form in the works of Rhinthon, Sciras, and Sopater, and

theatre: Stage design: …own distinctive type of stage—the phlyakes stage. Comedies in Italy were mimes, usually parodies of well-known tragedies, and the actors were called phlyakes, or jesters. They used temporary stage buildings of three main forms. One was the primitive low stage, a rough platform with a wooden floor on three or…

phlyakes, farces adopted from Greek Middle Comedy plays and especially popular in southern Italy in the 4th and 3rd centuries bce. Known principally from vase paintings, these burlesques of tragedy, myth, and daily life were given literary form in the works of Rhinthon, Sciras, and Sopater, and

Angkor: History: …hill in the area, the Phnom Bakheng. In a similar manner, the central structure of each temple reflected the position of Mount Meru. The outer walls of each temple recalled the mountains that were believed to ring the edge of the cosmos, or world. The vast system of reservoirs, canals,…

Phnom Penh, capital and chief city of Cambodia. It lies at the confluence of the Basăk (Bassac), Sab, and Mekong river systems, in the south-central part of the country. Phnom Penh was founded in 1434 to succeed Angkor Thom as the capital of the Khmer nation but was abandoned several times before

Mnong language, a language of the Bahnaric branch of the Mon-Khmer family, itself part of the Austroasiatic stock. The terms Mnong and Phnong cover a large group of closely related dialects spoken in the highlands of southern Vietnam and southeastern Cambodia. Speakers of different varieties of

Phnom Penh, capital and chief city of Cambodia. It lies at the confluence of the Basăk (Bassac), Sab, and Mekong river systems, in the south-central part of the country. Phnom Penh was founded in 1434 to succeed Angkor Thom as the capital of the Khmer nation but was abandoned several times before

pho, Vietnamese dish made with broth, noodles, and meat. The most common protein found in pho is beef, usually thinly sliced. Beef tendon or tripe is sometimes used. Pho can be made with chicken, fish, pork, or tofu as well. The broth is usually bolstered by a series of spices, such as star anise,

Karen languages: …(including Pwo and Sgaw); only Pwo and Sgaw of the southern group have written forms.

Tibet: Administration and culture under the Manchu: …seventh incarnation was overshadowed by Pho-lha, a lay nobleman appointed ruler by the Manchu. The eighth was diffident and retiring. But after the Pho-lha family’s regime, Dge-lugs-pa clerics resumed power and held onto it through a series of monk regents for about 145 years.

Phoberomys, extinct rodent genus, the largest rodent ever to have lived, that belongs to the infraorder Caviomorpha, a group restricted to South America that also includes living guinea pigs, capybaras, and chinchillas. Phoberomys has been recovered from several sites dating to the Late Miocene

Hypnos: …who brought dreams of men; Icelus, who brought dreams of animals; and Phantasus, who brought dreams of inanimate things.

slug caterpillar moth: Major genera and species: One genus, the hag moths (Phobetron), derives its name from the larva’s fleshy appendages, which are covered with brown stinging hairs resembling disheveled or tousled hair. When the caterpillar spins its cocoon the appendages are transferred to the outside of the cocoon, where they serve for protection and…

phobia, an extreme, irrational fear of a specific object or situation. A phobia is classified as a type of anxiety disorder, since anxiety is the chief symptom experienced by the sufferer. Phobias are thought to be learned emotional responses. It is generally held that phobias occur when fear

phobia, an extreme, irrational fear of a specific object or situation. A phobia is classified as a type of anxiety disorder, since anxiety is the chief symptom experienced by the sufferer. Phobias are thought to be learned emotional responses. It is generally held that phobias occur when fear

Ares: …and his sons (by Aphrodite) Phobos and Deimos (Panic and Rout). Also associated with him were two lesser war deities: Enyalius, who is virtually identical with Ares himself, and Enyo, a female counterpart.

Phobos, the inner and larger of Mars’s two moons. It was discovered telescopically with its companion moon, Deimos, by the American astronomer Asaph Hall in 1877. Phobos is a small irregular rocky object with a crater-scarred, grooved surface. Hall named the moons for Phobos, the personification of

Mars: Spacecraft exploration: …launched a pair of spacecraft, Phobos 1 and 2, to orbit Mars and make slow flyby observations of its two satellites. Phobos 1 failed during the yearlong flight, but Phobos 2 reached Mars in early 1989 and returned several days of observations of both the planet and Phobos before malfunctioning.

Phobos-Grunt, Russian spacecraft that was designed to land on the Martian moon Phobos and bring some of its soil back to Earth. It launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Zenit-2 launch vehicle on November 9, 2011. However, Phobos-Grunt (Russian for “Phobos soil”) did not fire

Heinrich von Kleist: …Adam Müller, published the periodical Phöbus, which lasted only a few months. While he was in prison his adaptation of Molière’s Amphitryon (published 1807) attracted some attention, and in 1808 he published Penthesilia, a tragic drama about the passionate love of the queen of the Amazons for Achilles. Although this…

harp seal, (Pagophilus, or Phoca, groenlandica), medium-sized, grayish earless seal possessing a black harp-shaped or saddle-shaped marking on its back. Harp seals are found on or near ice floes from the Kara Sea of Russia west to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada. The harp seal is both the

ringed seal, (Pusa, or Phoca, hispida), nonmigratory, earless seal (family Phocidae) of North Polar seas and a few freshwater lakes in Europe and on Baffin Island. Named for the characteristic pale rings on its grayish or yellowish coat, the ringed seal grows to about 1.5 m (5 feet) in length and

Baikal seal, (Pusa sibirica), species of small earless seals that inhabits the waters and coastline areas of Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia. It also occurs in some of the rivers that feed the lake, such as the Angara River, which serves the city of Irkutsk. The Baikal seal is the only living seal

harbour seal, (Phoca vitulina), nonmigratory, earless seal (family Phocidae) found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The harbour seal is whitish or grayish at birth and as an adult is generally gray with black spots. The adult male may attain a length and weight of about 1.8 m (6 feet) and 130 kg

Phocaea, ancient Ionian city on the northern promontory of the Gulf of Smyrna, Anatolia (now the Gulf of İzmir, Turkey). It was the mother city of several Greek colonies. The Phocaeans arrived in Anatolia perhaps as late as the 10th century bce and, lacking arable land, established colonies in the

porpoise: …known of these is the harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena, a shy cetacean that generally avoids boats and rarely leaps above the water. It is found throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere and is hunted in some regions. During the Middle Ages this animal was considered a royal delicacy. The other…

sea lion: The New Zealand, or Hooker’s, sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) inhabits only New Zealand. Males are 2.0–2.5 metres in length, females 1.5–2.0 metres. Their weight is slightly less than that of Australian sea lions.

Phocas was a centurion of modest origin, probably from Thrace, who became the late Roman, or Byzantine, emperor in 602. Following an army rebellion against the emperor Maurice in 602, Phocas was sent to Constantinople as spokesman. There he took advantage of revolts in the capital to get himself

Nicephorus II Phocas: Early life.: …Phocas was the son of Bardas Phocas, an important Byzantine general in Anatolia, on the borders of the empire. He quickly embraced a military career of arms and as a young patrician distinguished himself at his father’s side in a war against the Ḥamdānid Arabs in the East. In 954–955…

Nicephorus II Phocas: Rise to power.: …and influenced by his brother Leo Phocas, whose self-interested machinations (he was accused of speculating on the price of wheat) stirred up the discontent of the people of Constantinople, Nicephorus gradually became taciturn and suspicious even of his best advisers, who, one after another, were removed from office. As emperor,…