AARON of Alexandria, a presbyter, and writer on medicine, of the seventh century. His work, entitled "Pandects," is a translation into Syriac of extracts from Greek medical authors. It contains the first mention of the small-pox, which, as is supposed, originated in Egypt, and was diffused by the Arabs with their conquests. A translation of Aaron's work into Arabic in 683, is said to have first led the Arabs to the study of the medical writings of the Greeks.—E. M.
AARON Al Raschid. See Haroun.
AARON, Ben-Asher, a rabbi of the eleventh century, who wrote a treatise on Hebrew accents, and laboured to correct the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, by collecting various readings. While he was collecting MSS. in the West, Ben Naphtali was travelling for the same purpose in the East. These two laborious critics have, by some, been erroneously supposed inventors of the Hebrew vowel-points.—E. M.
AARON, Ben Chajim, chief Rabbi of Fez. Died at Venice, about 1609. Author of various works.
AARON, Ben Joseph Sason, chief of the synagogue of Thessalonica, known as the author of two works, "Torath Emeth," or "The Law of Truth," Venice, 1616; and "Sephath Emeth," or "The Lip of Truth," Amsterdam, 1706. The former of these works treats of certain niceties in the Hebrew code.
AARON, Berachia, a celebrated Italian rabbi, who wrote the book called, "Maavar Jabbok," a treatise on holy living and dying. Printed at Mantua, a.d. 1626.
AARON, Harishon, a learned and amiable Karaïte Jew, who practised medicine at Constantinople in the thirteenth century, author of various theological works, parts of which have been published with a Latin translation.
AARON, Isaac, a Byzantine Jew, interpreter of western languages to Manuel Comnenus. For alleged treachery, Manuel deprived the wretched man of his eyes, and the Emperor Isaac II. caused his tongue to be cut out.
AARON MARGALI´THA, a Polish rabbi, and professor at Slawkow in Bohemia, who afterwards became a convert to the Christian faith. He was born in 1665. After his conversion, he wrote several tracts and books, in which he employed his rabbinical learning to illustrate various parts of Christian doctrine. It would appear that he first joined the Calvinists; then, at a later period, became connected with the Lutheran church; and it is asserted, that before the close of his life he renounced Christianity altogether, and sought to return to Judaism, pleading, we are told, that the Christians had deserted him, and left him in destitution. He died about the year 1730 in a dungeon at Copenhagen, into which he had been cast as an apostate.—J. B.
AARON NASI BABEL, a Jewish cabbalistical writer, who lived at an early period of the Christian era. His name signifies "Aaron, prince of Babylon," which has been explained as "Head of the College." This is the title given him in the Mantuan edition of his works, published in 1562.
AARON, Pietro, a musician, and a monk of the order of the Bearers of the Cross of Jerusalem, who was born of obscure parentage at Florence in 1480. The schools of music established in Naples and other parts of Italy, during the latter half of the fifteenth century, by the Flemings, who were the first nurses of the infant art, excited the interest of the people, and engaged the care of their rulers; and when an Italian appeared among his countrymen who was competent to teach on the same subject, the feeling of nationality was added to that of artistic esteem, to give him encouragement. He was accordingly appointed one of the singers in the pontifical chapel by Leo X.; and when he opened his own school of music in 1516, it was most numerously attended. He published several tracts upon music, treating of its history, of its arithmetical, geometrical, and harmonic proportions, of the principles of counterpoint, and of the practice of ecclesiastical singing: they contain little original matter, but consist chiefly of an elucidation of the principles of Guido, and a development of those of Tinctor. They were all written in Italian, but the "Libri tres de Institutione Harmonica" was translated into Latin by his friend Flaminio, who did him also the good office of reconciling a quarrel between him and the famous Franchino Gaffurio, relative to a passage in one of his books, which the mediator finally proved to be a misprint, and thus prevented the ill consequences the dispute might have drawn upon Aaron. The date of his death is uncertain, but it must have been subsequent to 1545, when his "Lucidario in Musica" was first published. He had the individual distinction of having his portrait placed among those of eminent musicians in the ducal gallery at Florence while he was yet living. He died, holding the office of canon at Rimini. A list of his printed works, interesting because of their early date, is to be found in Schilling's "Lexicon der Tonkunst."—G. A. M.
AARON, St., a monk of the sixth century, who founded the oldest monastery in Brittany, near which afterwards rose the town of St. Malo, so called from his fellow-labourer in converting the pagan natives.
AARON, Zalaha, a Spanish rabbi of the thirteenth century, author of a work on the "Precepts of Moses."
AARON and JULIUS, two British martyrs, whose original names are unknown. They were put to death with cruel torments under Diocletian in 303. Two churches in which they were buried were dedicated to their memory at Caerleon, the old metropolis of Wales.
AARSCHOT, Philip de Croi, Duke of, a native of the Netherlands, representative of Philip II. at the Diet of Frankfort, convened for the election of an emperor. Disgusted at the intolerance and cruelty of the Spanish authorities in his native country, he retired to Venice, where he died in 1595.
AARSENS, Cornelius van, a Dutch statesman, born in 1543. After being forty years pensionary, and registrar to the States-General, he died in 1624.
AARSENS, Francis van, son of the preceding, a Dutch statesman, on whose memory the share he took in the judicial murder of the popular leader Barneveldt has left an indelible stain, was born at the Hague in 1572. Early trained by his father to diplomacy, he proved an able and successful negotiator. He was fifteen years at the French court, first as resident, and afterwards as ambassador from the United Provinces. He was sent to England in 1640, and negotiated the marriage between William, son of the prince of Orange, and the daughter of Charles I. He long exerted great influence at the court of Louis XIII. Cardinal Richelieu thought so highly of his capacity, that he used to say he had known only three great statesmen—Oxenstiern, Viscardi, and Francis van Aarsens. He died in 1641.—E. M.
AARSENS, Francis van, grandson of the ambassador; author of a book entitled "Voyage en Espagne," &c., Paris, 1665. He was drowned in 1659, on the passage between England and Holland.—The names of three other persons belonging to this family are mentioned in the Dutch annals.
AARTSBERGEN, Alex. van der Capellen, a Dutch statesman, adherent of the house of Orange, published historical memoirs, comprehending a view of Dutch affairs from 1611 to 1632. Enlightened by study, travel, and experience, he was tolerant and conciliatory, and was highly eulogized by Gerard J. Vossius. Died in 1656.
AARTSEN, Peter. See Aertsen.
AASCOW, Urban-Bruan, a Danish naval surgeon, who published at Copenhagen, in 1774, an interesting journal of observations on the maladies which raged in the Danish fleet equipped in 1770 for the bombardment of Algiers.
AASSIM, son of Abderrahman Effendi, and author of a continuation of Kaeffsade's "Turkish Anthology." Died in 1675.
AASSIM, Ismael Effendi, a Turkish mufti, author of several historical works, letters, &c., which have been very highly praised. His library, at his death, contained more than 1000 volumes. Died in 1758.
ABA, Samuel, king of Hungary, brother-in-law of St. Stephen, the first Christian king of that country. Elected in 1041, he drove from Hungary his rival Peter, "the German," nephew of St. Stephen, but was afterwards defeated by the Emperor Henry III., and finally massacred in 1044 by his own subjects.
ABAD I., appointed grand-cadi of Seville and governor of the province by the Moorish king of Cordova, took advantage of the defeat and death of that prince to assert his independence, and assume the title of king of Seville. By energy and artifice he triumphed over a confederation formed against him, but in 1042 died suddenly when on the point of reducing Cordova, and extending his sway over southern Spain.
Abad II., his son and successor, was born in 1012, and surpassed his father in power and celebrity. He made himself master of Cordova by treachery and bribery, and conciliated the inhabitants by largesses and public entertainments. He built many splendid palaces, but only one mosque. He had several magnificently ornamented cups, made of the skulls of enemies. We read that he died of grief for the loss of a favourite daughter.
