Page:LA2-NSRW-2-0282.jpg



GENNESARET, LAKE

744

GEOFFREY OF ANJOU

a wonderful military raid. Genghis died in 1227. See Howorthy's History of the Mongols and also Curtin's.

Gennesaret, Lake. See GALILEE.

Gen'oa, a city of Italy, situated on the Mediterranean gulf of the same name, at the foot of the Apennines. It is an important seaport and the capital of a province. The province has an area of 1,582 square miles with a population of 989,538. The slopes of the hills behind the city, down to the shore, are covered with buildings, terraced gardens and groves of orange and pomegranate trees; while the bleak summits of the loftier ranges, rising still farther back, are capped with a line of strong forts, batteries and outworks. The fine half-circle harbor, protected by piers and moles affords an outlet for the products of a wide extent of country — rice, iron, olive oil, silk goods, coral, paper, macaroni and marble. Over 6,000 vessels enter the port yearly, three fourths being Italian. Among the industries are iron-works, macaroni-works and. paper-factories. There are many palaces, interesting because of their historical fame and architectural beauty, and some of them contain valuable galleries of paintings. The fine old churches also are splendid with marbles, paintings and rich gildings, among them the Gothic cathedral of St. Lorenzo, built in the i2th century. The university, founded in 1243, with 64 teachers and 1,276 students and auditors, has a library of 120,000 volumes, and there are other academies and schools and one of the finest theaters in Italy.

The history of Genoa presents much the same features as other ancient Italian cities. After falling under the sway of several powers, it became an independent republic, and to protect itself against the Saracens it formed an alliance with Pisa. At the close of the nth century Genoa commanded large naval forces, and ranked as a powerful naval state, its main power being in its commerce. Internal troubles and wars with Pisa, Venice and the Moors followed, and it again became a subject-state of Milan and then of France. In the 16th century Andrea Doria restored the republic, but it again became a part of France, and in the past century was made a part of the kingdom of Italy. The Genoese are skillful and hardy seamen, and are noted for their spirit of enterprise and freedom. Among the sights of the city is a monument to Columbus, the most famous citizen of Genoa. Population 275,000. See J. T. Bent's Genoa.

Genseric (jen'ser-ik), the greatest of the kings of the Vandals, was, with his brother Gonderic, ruler of the Vandals after their settlement in Spain. After crushing the Suevi, he led the united Vandals and Alans into Africa in 429 A. D. All Africa west of Carthage fell into his hands. Seizing

that city in 439, he made it the capital of his new dominions, and dated his reign, which lasted thirty-seven years, from this conquest. With such cruelty and ferocity did the Vandals lay waste cities, churches and fields, that their name is still used to describe barbarous acts. Genseric quickly built up a great naval power, and his fleets scoured the Mediterranean. In 455 he captured Rome and plundered it for fourteen days. Two expeditions sent to avenge this insult were completely destroyed. Genseric died in 477, to the last holding all his conquests. With great genius as a conqueror and ruler, he made religion the excuse for ruthless cruelty. Once, when leaving the harbor of Carthage on an expedition, his pilot asked him whither he was going. "Against all who have incurred the wrath of God," said the conqueror. He was of low stature, and lame on account of a fall from his horse, always absorbed in his plans, caring little for pleasure, subject to bursts of fury and greedy of conquest.

Gentian (jen'shan), a widely distributed genus of plants, is of use in medicine for

the bitter drug that is made from the roots and used to stimulate the appetite. The common yellow gent i a n which is so employed abounds at a high altitude in Asia Minor, the Alps and the Pyrenees. The abundant yellow flowers of this gentian, g r owi n g upon stems some three feet in height, make it one of the beauties of the mountains. Species of gentian are found not only in Europe and Asia, but in North and South America and even New Zealand. The gentian can only with the greatest difficulty be cultivated as a garden-plant.

Geoffrey of Anjou. Geoffrey (or Geof-fry), Count of Anjou and Maine, provinces in France, married Matilda, daughter of Henry I, King of England. On the death

FRINGED GENTIAN