Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/938

* OLYMPIODOBUS. 802 OMAGXJA. (Berlin, 1S50). The sebolia are edited by Fincke (Ueilbronii. lS47j. (i) An Alexandrian Peripatetic who nourished in the latter half of the sixth century a.d. His commentary on Aiistotle's Ueteorolugy is still extant, edited by Stiive (Berlin, 1900). OLYM'PUS iLat., from Gk. "OXimtos, OUjin- pos). The aiieient name of several mountains or chains of mountains — e.g. one in Northeastern ilysia, two peaks in the island of Cyprus, others in Lycia, Lydia, Cilicia, Lesbos, Elis, another in Laconia, commonly called Lycaon, and, most famous of all, one on the boundarj' between Thessaly and JIaccdonia. The last is the highest peak (9754 feet) and greatest mountain mass in Gr'eeee. and early appears as the seat of the gods. The mountain is precipitous and rugged, espe- cially toward the sea, but on the lower slopes is well wooded, though the upper part is bare rock. W'hich is snow-covered during a large part of the year. Even in the Homeric poems is found a transference of the Olympus of the gods from the actual summit of the Thessalian mountain to a heavenly region free from snow and storm, and filled with dazzling liglrt. It lies above the heaven, though in later usage it seems often indistinguisluible from it. This begins in -Eschylus and I'indar. and characterizes the later poets. exce]it wlieii they are copying Homer. Traces of the old belief are still found among the peasants who live at Olympus, and who tell of strange palaces on the mountain, or magic virtues in its air. Consult Henzey, Le Mont Oliiiii/K rl 1-Ac(iniiiiiir (Paris. 1800)'. OLYNTHIAC ORATIONS. Three speeches of Demosthenes in warm support of the citizens of Olynthus who besought Athens for aid when Philip laid siege to the city. The orations were delivered in Athens in B.C. 349. OLYN'THXTS ( Lat.. from Gk. OX.Wos, Ohm- Ihiisi. A (iicck city in C'haleidiee (q.v.), at the northern enil of the Toronaic Gulf. It was one of the numerous colonies sent out there by the Chalcidians and Eretrians of Eubu-a. In the autumn of B.C. 480 it was sacked liy .rtabazus, the Persian general who had accompanied Xerxes in his retreat. Reestablished by Chalcidians of Torone. it first became prominent as the head of the Chalcidians in their revolt from Athens (n.c. 4.'?2). The inhabitants of neighboring villages gathered within its walls, and when Rrasidas appeared the town supported him heartily. Dur- ing the Peloponnesian War and the early part of the fourth (entiiry the region was little (listiirbed, and Olynthus became the head of a lonfedcracy, which can almost be called a federal State. Trea- ties and wars with the Macedonians resulted in such an increase of power that .pollonia and Acanthus.- which the Olynthians wished to force into the league, and Amyntas of Macednn ap- pealed to Sparta for stipport. . powerful Spar- tan force invaded the Chalcidian Peninsula, and after some reverses the city was forced to sur- render (370). and the confederacy was broken up. Olynthus still remained iiowerfiil. but the chief cheek to the gnnvth of Macedon was removed. Philip, son of .myntas. at first won the friend- ship (if Olynthus liy the gift of Potidira. which he had taken from .Vthens. but later hostility arose, and the Olynthians sought an alliance with .Vthens. Though Demosthenes in his three famous OljTithiacs urged prompt and energetic action, the Athenian succors were inadequate and tardy. In 348 Philip, aided by traitors within, seized the city, leveled it to the ground, and sold the inhabitants into slavery. OLYPHANT, Ol'i-fant. A borough in Lacka- wanna County, Pa., live miles northeast of iSeranton : on the Lackawanna Kiver, and on the Delaware and Hudson and the Xew York, On- tario and Western railroads (Map: Pennsyl- vania, F 2). It is engaged extensively in mining and shipping coal, being in the heart of the anthracite region of the State, and in manufac- turing blasting powder. Settled in 1857 and incorporated twenty years later. Olyphant is gov- erned by a burgess, elected every three years, and a Ixu'ough council. The electric light plant is owned bv the municipalitv. Population, in 1800, 4083;" in 1900, 0180. OM, om. A Sanskrit sacred syllable, to which especial sanctity and mystic significance is at- tached. It seems originally to have been an exclamation, an emphatic assent, or solemn affirmation, and instances of its use in that way may be cited early in connection with Vcdic literature. Perhaps it was primarily nothing more than an emphatic o with gradual lip-closure ending in a nasal murmur. According to Mann, the syllable uuist be uttered at the beginning of every Vedic recitation and pronounced again at its close; otherwise the sacred knowledge and its merit will slip away, be lost, or prove of no avail. Indian ti-adition plainly looks upon the word 6m as a composite of three elements (a-tt-m). and as containing the very essence of the three canonical Vedas. and especially in later times 6m was regarded as the equivalent or mystic designation of the Hindu Trinity, symlxilizing in a word the union of the three great divinities, islinu, Siva, and Brahma. See :ils(i Om ;M,vxi Padme Hu.m. OMAGH, 6-ma' (Ir. Oigh matih, Seat of the cliiel^l. The capital of Tyrone County. Ireland, on the Strule. 34 miles south of Loiidmiderry (^lap: Ireland. D 2). Its public buildings in- clude a handsome court house, where the county assizes are held, endowed and national schools^ a district lunatic asylum, a workhouse, and a barrack station. Its trade is chiefly in brown linens, corn, and agricultural produce. Omagh grew up around an abbey founded in the year 702, but is first heard of as a fortress of Art O'Xial at the end of the fifteenth century, about which time it was forced to surrender to the Engli-h. Population, in 1901, 4789. OMAGXJA, u-ma'gwj'i. or r'.sinEVA. A famous and powerful tribe of Tupian stock (q.v.), formerly centring chiefly about the MaraDon (Amazon) from the Javary to the lea, on the Peru-Brazil frontier, but now mostly retired to the headwaters of the Yapura and I'aupes, South- eastern Colombia. Both names signify 'Flat- heads.' in allusion to a custom practiced in the tribe, .t the time of the Spanish conquest the Omagua were reputed to be the richest and most civilized tribe east of the Cordilleras, with cities, temples, and stores of golden treasure. Three successive attempts were made to conquer their country in 1530. 1541. and 1500. but in each ea.se the invaders were driven back with loss. In 1645 the .Jesuit missionary' Cujia en- tered their territory, and after several years of hard work succeeded in gathering them into