Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/153

* LEOCHARES. 135 liEON. Craterus dedicated at Delplii in commemoration ol his rescue of Alexander on such an occasion. A reminiscence of this group seems preserved in a relief from Jlessene, now in the Louvre, and some authorities attribute one type of the por- traits of Alexander to an original of Leochares. An undoubted cojjy of a work by this artist, though on a reduced scale, is the group of "Uany- niede Carried Off by the Eagle of Zeus," now in the Vatican. Jlanj' very good authorities attribute to him the original of the Apollo Belvedere, and some also the Artemis of Versailles in the Louvre. Both these attributions are doubtful. In addition to the standard histories of Greek sculpture, consult: Winter, in the Jahrhuch dcs drutschen archiiologischen Instituts, vol. vii. (Berlin, 1892); and Furtwingler. Master-pieces of Greek Sculpture (London, 1895). LE'O DIAC'ONUS (Lat., Leo the Deacon) (e.950-c.l000). A Byzantine historian. He was born at Caloe in Ionia and came to Constanti- nople about 909, in which year he saw the deposi- tion of Nicephorus Phocas. Twelve years after- wards, as one of the Court priests, he went with Basil II. against the Bulgarians. His history contains valuable material for the years 759-775, but it is poorly written and patriotically partial. It is included in the Bonn Corpus Historice By- zantince (1828). Consult Hirsch, Byzantinische Studien (1876). LEOMINSTER, lem'ster. A market-town in Herefordshire, England, 12 miles north of Here- ford, on the river Lug (Map: England, D 4). It is the centre of one of the most celebrated cat- tle-breeding districts in Europe, and has wool- stapling and leather establishments, manufac- tures of gloves and hats, and a trade in hops and cider. The town maintains markets and a free library. Leominster originated in a Saxon mon- astery, and received its charter of incorporation from Queen Mary. Population, in 1901, 5900. LEOMINSTER, lem'in-ster. A town, includ- ing several villages, in Worcester County, Mass., 5 miles south of Fitchburg; on the Nashua River, and on the Xew York, New Haven and Hartford and the Boston and Maine railroads (Map: Mas- sachusetts, D 2). It has a public library of about 17,700 volumes, and a park. The principal man- ufactures include piano-cases, baby-carriages, shirts, buttons, combs, horn goods, furniture, woolen goods, leather board, paper, etc. The government is administered by town meetings. The water-works are owned and operated by the municipality. Population, in 1890, 7269; in'l900, 12,392. Settled in 1725, Leominster was part of Lancaster until incorporated as a separate town in 1740. In 1873 it suffered severely from fire. Consult Emerson, Leominster, Massachusetts (Gardner, Mass., 1888). LEON, or LEON DE LOS ALDAMAS, la- on' da l(js al-d;l'mas. A city of Mexico, in the State of Guanajuato. 32 miles west of (4uana- juato (Map: Mexico. H 7). It is a well-built town, situated in a rich agricxiltural district, and has a fine public square, a cathedral, convents and schools, and one of the largest and finest theatres in the country. Leon is a flourishing industrial centre, and has an extensive commerce in wheat and other grains, and manufactures leather sad- dlery, cottons, and woolens. Population. 50,000. The town was founded in 157G and became a city in 1836. LEON. A city of Nicaragua, finely situated in a picturesque district, 13 miles from the Pacific coast and 45 miles northwest of Managua (Map: Central America, D 4). It has a cathe- dral, an episcopal palace and a university. Leon was founded by Francisco Hernandez in 1523, on the shore of Lake Managua, opposite Jlount Momotombito, but was removed west in 1610 to its present site. It was formerly the capital of the Republic and is still the largest city, though its population has declined fruni (iO.OOO to 30,000, including the Indian suburb of Subtiaba. LEON. A former kingdom in the northwest- ern part of Spain, embracing the modern prov- inces of Salamanca, Zamora, and Leon, and bounded on the north by Asturias, on the east by Old Castile, on the south by Estremadura, and on the west by Portugal and Galicia. Its area is 14,775 square miles. The river Duero crosses the region from east to west, among its affluents being the Esla on the right and the Tonnes on the left. From the central valley the land rises in broad and level terraced plateaus toward the rugged gra'nite mountains of tlu- Sierra de Fran- cia and the Sierra de Gata on the southern bound- ary; and a more uneven region, cut by narrow valleys, rises toward the lofty Cantabrian chain on the northern boundary. The climate is ex- tremely varied, almost subtropical in the valley of the Duero, changing to a severe continental climate with not unusual snows on the southern highland and a more humid and unstable one toward the north. The vegetation varies as much as the climate ; oranges, lemons, olives, and vines thrive in the central valley, while the slopes yield abundant crops of wheat and other cereals and a fine quality of flax. The whole region, with the exception of a sterile plateau in the northeast, is well watered and the highlands are clothed with extensive forests, in which the oak, walnut, and chestnut are predominant. The mineral wealth is not very large except in the north- west, where considerable quantities of coal and iron and some copper are mined. The industries are unimportant, though there are some flour and textile mills and iron-works. Trade is more active, and the exports include coal, iron, build- ing-stone, timber, cork, hides and cattle, linen and woolen goods, olives, and wines. The inhabi- tants are of pure Spanish descent, proud, indo- lent, and ignorant, as well as hospitalde and brave. Tlic population in 1887 numbered 975,181, and in 1900, 1.007,839. Hlstort. Leon first appears in history as an independent kingdom about 910. when the King- dom of Asturias (q.v.) was divided among the three sons of Alfonso III., Garcia receiving Leon. It suffered in the following years to a great ex- tent from the Arabs, for the various rulers were weak, and rebellions were frequent. The first signs of vigor appeared under Alfonso V. (999- 1027), who is known in Spanish history as the Restorer of Leon. In 1037 the male line of the House of Leon became extinct, and Ferdinand I., King of Castile, succeeded. His son. Alfonso VI., the Valiant, wrested large territories from the Jlohammedans. Until 1137 the history of Leon is a part of that of Castile (q.v.). In 1157 Alfonso VIII., known as the Emperor, died, and Leon became again an independent kingdom under his son Ferdinand. His son was Alfonso IX., who married his cousin Berengaria of Cas- tile in 1197 without Papal license, so that Inno-