Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 1.djvu/307

Rh A G O A G II They were also called pafiSovxoi or pa/3Sovo/xoi, from the rod or sceptre emblematic of their authority. AGORA (dyetpw, to congregate), the place used among the ancient Greeks as a public market, and corresponding in general with the Roman forum. From its convenience as a meeting-place, it became in most of the cities of Greece the general resort for social and political purposes. In Thessaly, however, the market-place was kept apart from &quot;the field of freedom,&quot; where the commons met; and at Sparta a similar provision was made by the institutions of Lycurgus, that nothing might distract the attention of the auditors. At Athens, with the increase of commerce and political interest, it was found advisable to call public meetings at the Pnyx or the temple of Bacchus; but the important assemblies there, such as meetings for ostracism, were held in the agora. In the best days of Greece the agora was the place where nearly all public traffic was con ducted. To frequent it, therefore, was equivalent to being actively engaged in business; and &quot;he has forsaken the agora,&quot; indicated that a man was a suspicious character. The agora was most frequented in the forenoon, and then only by men. Slaves did the greater part of the purchasing, though even the noblest citizens of Athens did not scruple to buy and sell there. The name dyopa was also given (and this is perhaps the primary use of the word) to the assemblies of the people in the Grecian states. These assemblies were convened by proclamation by order of the sovereign power, a herald inviting all concerned to the agora. The right of speech and of vote in these assemblies appears to have been restricted to the nobles, all that was allowed to the populace being the indication of their sentiments on the topics brought before them by signs of applause or disapproval. At Athens the old agora lay to the west of the citadel. It was adorned with, trees planted by Cimon the conqueror of the Persians; and around it numerous public buildings were erected, such as the senate hall and the law courts. The new agora lay to the north of the Acropolis, in the Eretrian quarter. Pausanias is the great architectural authority on the agorae of Megalopolis, Corinth, Elia, Messina, Sparta, &c. Palladius and Vitruvius also give details. The remains of different agora? are described in the works of Texier, Newton, Earth, and other travellers. AGORANOMOI, magistrates in the republics of Greece, whose position and duties were similar to those of the aediles of Rome. In Athens there were ten, chosen annu ally by lot, five of whom took charge of the city, and five of the harbour. The former saw to the maintenance of order and decency in the markets, took cognisance of the purity of the articles exposed for sale and of all weights and measures, and collected the dues; the latter received the harbour dues and enforced the shipping regulations. AGORDO, a town in North Italy, 12 miles N.W. of Belluno. The valley of Imperina, in its vicinity, contains the richest copper mines in Italy. Population, 3000. AGOSTA, or AUGUSTA, a city of Sicily, 14 miles N. of Syracuse, and in the province of that name. It is built on a peninsula, and is united to the mainland by a narrow causeway. By some writers it is supposed to occupy the site of ancient Megara Hyblcea, The modern city, which was founded by the emperor Frederick II. in 1229-33, suf fered severely during the wars of succeeding centuries, and was several times sacked. It had, however, attained consider able opulence when, in 1693, it was overthrown by an earth quake, the effects of which were aggravated by the explosion of the powder magazine of the citadel. One-third of the inhabitants perished in this disaster. When the city was rebuilt, the streets were laid out in parallel lines, and the houses were constructed with low roofs, so as to mitigate the results of any recurrence of the calamity. Agosta is forti fied towards both sea and land; and the harbour, though rather difficult of access, is commodious and well sheltered. The chief trade of the town is in salt; and the other exports include wine, cheese, oil, honey, and sardines. Near Agosta the Dutch were defeated by the French in a naval engage ment in 1676, and their famous admiral, De Ruyter, was. mortally wounded. Population (1865), 9735. AGOSTINI, LEONARDO, an eminent antiquary of the 17th century, born at Siena. After being employed for some time by Cardinal Barberini to collect works of art for the Barberini palace, he was appointed by Pope Alexander VII. superintendent of antiquities in the Roman states. He issued a new edition of Paruta s Sicilian Medals, witk engravings of 400 additional specimens; but a promised volume of letterpress explanation never appeared. In con junction with Bellori he also published a work on antique sculptured gems, which was translated into Latin by Gro- novius (Amsterdam, 1685). AGOSTINO and AGNOLO (or ANGELO) DA SIENA, two brothers, architects and sculptors, who flourished in the first half of the 1 4th century. Delia Valle and other com mentators deny that thqy were brothers. They certainly studied together under Giovanni Pisano, and in 1317 were jointly appointed architects of their native town, for which they designed the Porta Romana, the church and convent of St Francis, and other buildings. On the recommenda tion of the celebrated Giotto, who styled them the best sculptors of the time, they were chosen to execute the tomb of Guido, bishop of Arezzo, which that artist had designed. It was esteemed one of the finest artistic works of the 1 4th. century, but unfortunately was destroyed by the French under the Duke of Anjou. AGOSTINO, PAOLO, an eminent Italian musician, born at Valerano in 1593. He studied under Nauini, and suc ceeded Ugolini as conductor of the Pope s orchestra in St Peter s. His musical compositions are numerous and of great merit, an Agnus Dei for eight voices being specially admired. He died in 1629. AGOUTI, a genus of mammals (the Dasyprocta) found in South America and in some of the West Indian islands, belonging to the same family as the guinea-pig, viz., that of Cavidve in the order Eodentia. The largest and com monest species is the D. Aguti, somewhat resembling a rabbit, but about the size of a hare, whence it is sometimes called the rabbit or hare of South America. The feet have large and strong claws, but the animal does not burrow; the hind legs are very long, and when eating it squats ou them, feeding itself with its fore-paws; and the tail is, except in one species, a very short naked stump. The agoutis are gregarious, live chiefly in woods, and feed ou vegetables exclusively, especially on roots and nuts. They commit great havoc in sugar plantations by gnawing the roots of the canes, and in sugar-growing localities are there fore destroyed as vermin. The flesh, which is tender and well-flavoured, is a common article of diet in Guiana and Brazil. When the Antilles and Bahamas were discovered they are said to have been overrun with these animals, which were the largest quadrupeds then found in the islands, AGRA, a division, district, and city of British India, under the jurisdiction of the lieutenant-governor of the North- Western Provinces. THE AGRA DIVISION comprises the six districts of Agra, Etdwah, Mainpuri, Farrakhabad, Etah, and Mathura. It is bounded on the N. by the Alfgarh district; on the W. by the Bhartpur, Dholpur, and Gwalior states; on the S. by the Jalaun and Cawn- pur districts; and on the E. by the Ganges. Agra division contains, according to the census of 1872, a population of 5,038,136 souls; of whom 4,607,946 are Hindus, 427,834 Mahometans, and 2356 Christians and others. AGRA DISTRICT lies between 26 43 45&quot; and 27 24 15&quot; N. lat,, and between 77 28 and 78 53 E. long.