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* EPAMINONDAS. 135 EPERNON. policy oi maintaining a united Boeotia. War was straightway declared by Sparta, and Epam- inondaa was appointed commander-in-ehiel the Theban army, which consisted of about 0000 men. The Spartans, with a much larger force, were defeated at Leuctra in the early part of July, B.C. 371. The supremacy of Sparta was now at an end. In n.c. 370 Epaminondas and IVlopidas invaded the Peloponnesus and attacked Sparta, which successfully defended itself under the lead of Agesilaus. Epaminondas restored Messenia to its former position as an independent State (B.C. 369), and under his auspices Megalop- olis was founded as the centre of the Arcadian Confederacy. In is.c 368 Epaminondas made a second expedition into the Peloponnesus, and in 366 a third. In 302 he undertook a fourth expe- dition, having this time a coalition of Sparta and a number of States opposed to him. He fought a great battle at Mantinea, in which the Thebans were successful, but Epaminondas himself fell. Epaminondas was one of the purest and noblest characters in Grecian history. Con- sult: Du Mesnil, "Ueber den Werth der Politik des Epaminondas," in llistorische Zeitschrift (Berlin, 1863) ; Pomtow, Das Leben des Epami- nondas (Berlin, 1870). EP'ARCH (Gk. twapxot, eparchos, governor, from <?xt, epi, upon + ipxv, arche, rule, from ipx"", archein, to rule). In ancient Greece, the governor of a province, the commander of ships or of troops, or, in later times, the prefect of a region. The district governed by the eparch was called an eparchy. In modern Greece the eparchy is one of the parts of a nomarchy. In Russia the term has an ecclesiastical use, and denotes the diocese or archdiocese of a bishop or archbishop of the Greek Church. EPAULEMENT, e-pal'mcnt (Fr., from fpaule, shoulder, from Lat. spatula, blade, shoulder). A part of siege or covering works in military fortification. Siege batteries are usually shielded by epaulements built so as to form an obtuse angle with the main line of the battery, protecting guns and gunners from flank fire. Practically, an epaulement is any screen used for the protection of troops. See Fortifi- cation ; Siege and Siege Works. EP'ATJLET (Fr. epaulette, diminutive of (paule, shoulder). An ornamental badge of rank. formerly in very general use throughout the armies and navies of the world — a survival of the metal shoulder-piece of mediaeval days. Epaulets were worn by commissioned officers in the United States Army as late as 1872, when they were replaced, in all uniforms save those of general officers, by shoulder-knots. In the British Army they were worn up to 1855 by all ranks, the officers' epaulets being of gold, and those of the rank and file of worsted. Epaulets are worn generally in the navies of all nations by commissioned officers as a part of the full-dress uniform. They are usually of gold bullion and bear the significant marks of the officer's rank. See Uniforms, Military and Naval. EPEE, a'pa', Charles Michel, Abbe de 1'. ( 1712-89) . One of the founders of the system of instruction for the deaf and dumb. He was born at Versailles. France, Nov. 25, 1712. He became a priest and canon at Troves, but eventually, on account of his Jansenist opinions, was deprived of this appointment, and went to live in retire- ment in Paris. About 1 7 •»-"> he began to occupy himself with the education of t wo deal and dumb sisters. His ftrsi attempt being crowned with success, he determined to devote his life to the subject. At his hum expense he founded an in- stitution for the deaf and dumb, bul his favorite wish, the foundation of such an institution at the public cost, was nol fulfilled till after his death, which took place December 23, 1789. lie wrote a work entitled Institution des gourds et muets (2 vols., Paris. 1774). which afterwards appeared in an improved form, under the title La veritable maniere d'instruire lea sourds et muets (Paris, 1784). EPEI'RD.ffi (Neo-Lat. nom. pi., from Gk. M, epi, upon -4- c'/jos, eiros, wool : mi called from their web). A family of spiders, the so-called orb-weavers, which includes many of our com monesl and most frequent spiders. See Sptdek. EPERIES, a-pa'rS-fis, Hung. EPERJES, e'per-yesh (ML. Eperesinum, Slav. Preshov) . The capital of the county of Saros, in Hungary, situated on the left bank of the Tarcza, about 190 miles northeast of Budapest (Map: Hun- gary, G 2). The town still retains its ancient walls and fortifications. In 1887 it was almost totally destroyed by fire. It has been largely rebuilt. Among the chief public buildings are the Gothic Church of Saint Nicholas, the county building, chapter house, town hall, and theatre. Eperies is the seat of a Greek Catholic bishop and of a Royal Court of Justice. Its educational institutions include a Lutheran college, a Royal Catholic gymnasium, a seminary, and a library of over 30,000 volumes. There are manufactures of earthenware and linen goods, and a consid- erable trade in grain, wine, cattle, and linen. In the vicinity are the salt-works of Sovar. Eperies was colonized by Germans in the thir- teenth century, and was made a royal free city in 1374. The inhabitants, who became Protest ants in the sixteenth century, suffered bitter persecution, especially in the year 1687, when the Imperialist general Caraffa instituted the famous Bloody Tribunal for the trial of recusants. Epe- ries was celebrated for its schools in the six- teenth and seventeenth centuries. Population, in 1890, 10.371, largely Slovaks; in 1900, 13,098. EPERNAY, a'par'na'. The capital of an arrondissement in the Department of Marne, France, situated in the midst of the champagne- producing district, on the left bank of the Marne, 88 miles by rail from Paris (Map: France. L 2). It is a well-built, well-kept town with many mag- nificent villas in the suburbs, and extensive wine- cellars excavated out of the chalk rock. Epernay manufactures large quantities of earthenware from a clay obtained in the neighborhood, and called terre de Champagne; also hosiery, refined sugar, and leather. It has a brisk trade in bot- tles, corks, and wire, and is the chief centre of the champagne trade. Population of commune, 1901. 20.478. Epernay is the ancient Sparnaeum and the Roman Aquae Perennes. Francis I. burned it in 1545 to defeat the attempt of Charles V. to ob- tain possession of its wine-stores. In 1592. dur- ing the wars of the League, it was captured by Henry IV., Marshal Biron being killed during the attack. EPERNON, a'par'n.'.x'. .Tkax I. oris nE No- GARET (1554-1642). A French courtier. In 1573 he identified himself with the fortunes of Henry