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in fixing the image on a daguerreotype plate. At present it is used in toning positive prints. It is formed by gradually adding a neutral 2 per cent. solution of gold chloride to a solution containing three times as much sodium thiosulphate. After each addition it is necessary to wait until the red liquid which is formed loses its color, after which the salt is precipitated with strong alcohol, and then allowed to crystallize.

SELENE, sé-lē'né (Lat., from Gk. Zen, connected with σélas, selas, brightness, Skt. svar, Av. hvas, sun). The Greek name of the moon and its goddess, called also Mývn, Mene, and in Latin Luna. Her myth is differently told, but the most common account makes her a daughter of Hyperion and Theia, and sister of Helios (the sun) and Eos (the dawn). She was represented as riding in a chariot drawn by a span of horses, winged, and shedding soft light from her golden crown, or else riding on a horse or mule. Legend said that by Zeus she became mother of Pandia, 'the all-shining,' and that Pan had also won her love. Most famous was her passion for Endymion, who, according to the Carian legend, lay sunk in eternal sleep in a cave on Mount Latmos, where he was nightly visited by Selene. In Elis, however, the story told how she bore to Endymion, son of the King, fifty daughters. The sharply transparent character of the name seems to have kept Selene from developing into so distinct a personality as other early moon-goddesses. When Apollo became so strongly identified with the sun, it was natural that Artemis should be restored to her position as a moon-goddess, and in later literature and art we find the crescent an attribute of Artemis or Diana. Consult Roscher,

acid works. The element is somewhat widely distributed, though in small quantities. It occurs chiefly in combination with copper, lead, and silver, as in clausthalite (lead sulphide), lehrbachite (lead and mercury sulphide), onofrite (mercury selenide and sulphide), crookesite ( (copper, thallium, and silver selenide); also in smaller quantities in other minerals, especially in certain pyrites and chalcopyrites. It is obtained chiefly containing selenium, or from the deposits in the from the flue dust formed in roasting sulphides lead chambers of sulphuric acid works. These deposits are mixed with equal parts of sulphuric acid and water to a thin paste, and then boiled, with the addition, from time to time, of a little nitric acid, or potassium chlorate, until the red color disappears and the solution of selenic acid acid, yielding selenious acid, the cold solution of thus obtained is heated with fuming hydrochloric which, when saturated with sulphur dioxide, furnishes a red pulverulent precipitate of selenium.

Selenium (symbol Se; atomic weight, 79.17) exists in several allotropic forms, of which the carbon disulphide, has a specific gravity of 4.3, red or amorphous variety, which is soluble in and has no definite melting-point, but softens When the soluble selegradually on heating. nium is slowly heated from 100° C. to 217° C., it passes into a black, glossy, metallic crystalline mass, which has a specific gravity of 4.8, is inSelenium is both odorless and tasteless, but it soluble in carbon disulphide, and melts at 217° C. burns with a reddish-blue flame that has a peculiar odor resembling horseradish. The crystalline variety of the element conducts electricity, its resistance increasing when heated, but dimin Ueber Selene und Verwandtes (Leipzig, 1890), ishing considerably on exposure to light, especially red rays. The change of conductivity is inand Nachträge (Leipzig, 1895). stantaneous, and is almost doubled in sunlight, though even the light from a small lamp has a perceptible influence. It was upon this property that the construction of the photophone (q.v.) was based. With oxygen selenium forms a dioxide, which combines with water to form selenious acid. A selenic acid is produced by the action of chlorine on aqueous selenious acid. Selenious and selenic acids form salts, termed, respectively, selenites and selenates.

SELEN'GA. A river of Northern Asia, rising in the Khangai Mountains of Mongolia. It flows for a considerable part of its course in a northeastern direction, and after turning to the north, passes into the Siberian territory of Transbaikalia, and enters Lake Baikal through a wide delta (Map: China, B 2). Its total length is over 700 miles, and, although its swift current interferes to some extent with navigation, it is an important factor in the commercial intercourse between Mongolia and Siberia, flowing through the most settled part of Transbaikalia and touching the Trans-Siberian Railway. Its fisheries, which are exploited on a considerable scale, also add to the economic importance.

SELENITE (Lat. selenites, selenitis, from Gk. σeλnvirns, relating to the moon, from σen, selēnē, moon). The variety of calcium sulphate, or gypsum, that is crystallized in the monoclinic system. It is usually white or tinged with light shades of green, gray, or yellow. Fine specimens are found at Bex, Switzerland; in Sicily; in England; also in Nova Scotia, and in the United States at various localities, in New York, Maryland, Ohio, and Kentucky. It sometimes occurs in broad transparent sheets as much as one yard across. In this condition the mineral is capable of being split into extremely thin plates that are flexible and were used by the ancients in place of glass.

SELENIUM (Neo-Lat., from Gk. σλ, selënë, moon). A chemical element discovered in 1817 by Berzelius, who obtained it from crystals formed in the lead chambers of sulphuric

SELENKA, zâ-lēņ’kå, EMIL (1842-1902). A German zoologist, born in Brunswick, and educated there at the Collegium Carolinum and at the University of Göttingen, under Keferstein. In 1868 he was made professor of zoology and comparative anatomy at Leyden, and in 1884 he accepted a chair in Erlangen. His works dealt chiefly with comparative anatomy and embryology of the vertebrates, Zoologische Studien (187881), Entwickelungsgeschichte der Tiere (188392), Zoologisches Taschenbuch (3d ed., 1885), and Menschenaffen (1898-1902) being the chief titles.

SELEUCIA, sê-lu'shi-å (Lat., from Gk. Zeleúketa, Seleukeia). The name of a number of ancient cities of Asia, situated in Syria, Pisidia, Pamphylia, Cilicia, Caria, and Mesopotamia, founded during the earlier existence of the dy nasty of the Seleucidæ (q.v.). The most noted of these were: (1) SELEUCIA PIERIA (near the modern Suadeiah), founded by Seleucus Nicator at the foot of Mount Pieria, on the seashore, about 4 miles north of the mouth of the Orontes, and strongly fortified. It was the seaport of Antioch, and became of great importance during the wars between the Seleucida and the Ptolemies for the

possession of Syria. Its once magnificent port is still in a good state of preservation, while the tunnel, 1088 yards in length, excavated out of solid rock, and forming the only communication between the city and the sea, together with the remains of its triple line of walls, its citadel, temples, amphitheatre, and necropolis, attest the former importance and splendor of the city. Seleucus himself was buried there. In B.C. 246 the city was taken by Ptolemy Euergetes, but Antiochus the Great recaptured it in 219. In 108 it gained independence, which Pompey confirmed in 70. By the fifth century A.D. it had entirely decayed. (2) SELEUCIA AD TIGRIM was also built by Seleucus Nicator on the west bank of the Tigris, about 40 miles northeast of Babylon, which was despoiled to supply materials for the construction of the new city. Situated in a district of great fertility, and controlling the navigation of the Tigris and Euphrates, as well as the commerce of Mesopotamia, it rapidly rose to wealth and splendor, supplanting Babylon as the capital of the eastern portion of the Seleucid monarchy, and containing in the acme of its greatness a population of more than 600,000. During the decline of the Seleucid monarchy it became independent, and attracted, because of its wealth and splendor, the robber tribes of Southern Armenia and Media, who partially plundered it on more than one occasion. It was burned by Trajan (A.D. 116), and subsequently by Lucius Verus, and when visited by Septimius Severus was desolate. (3) SELEUCIA TRACHEOTIS (on the site of the modern Selefkeh) was also built by Seleucus on the western bank of the Calycadnus in Cilicia Aspera. It was a rival of Tarsus, and was the birthplace of several famous men, among them the philosopher Xenarchus. Its site is still covered with its ruins. (4) SELEUCIA was likewise the of a city in the Persian district of Margiana, originally built by Alexander the Great, and called Alexandria. Antiochus I., who rebuilt it after it had been destroyed by the barbarians, renamed it in honor of his father, Seleucus Nicator. The Roman prisoners taken by the Parthians at the defeat of Crassus (q.v.) were colonized here. (5) SELEUCIA IN MESOPOTAMIA (modern Bir) was a fortress on the left bank of the Euphrates, opposite the ford of Zeugma. There were several other cities of this name, as that on the River Belus, in Syria;

name

on the plain of Isparta, in Pisidia; in Pamphylia,

near the mouth of the Eurymedon, and elsewhere; while the city of Tralles (q.v.) was at one time called Seleucia.

SELEU'CIDÆ or SELEU'CIDS. The dynasty which ruled over that portion of Alexander the

Great's monarchy which included Syria, a large 'portion of Asia Minor, and the whole of the eastern provinces of Bactria, Sogdiana, Persia, and Babylonia.

Seleucus I. Nicator (B.C. 312-c.280), the first of the line, was the son of Antiochus, a distinguished officer in the service of Philip of Macedon. He had been one of the conspirators against Perdiccas, and in the second partition of the provinces constituting Alexander's realm, Babylonia fell to his lot. To this, with the aid of Antigonus, he added Susiana, but a misunderstanding arose between the two generals, and Seleucus took refuge in Egypt (B.c. 316). Four years later Seleucus returned to his sat

rapy, amid the congratulations of his subjects. The date of Seleucus's return to Babylon was the beginning of the era of the Seleucida, which was employed by the Syrians and Asiatic Greeks until the fifteenth century. Recovering Susiana, Seleucus subjugated Media, and extended his power to the Oxus and Indus. Of his campaign against the Indian King Sandrocottus (q.v.) there are but few facts known. In B.C. 306 he assumed the title of King, and four years later he joined the confederacy of Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Cassander against Antigonus, and by his cavalry and elephants decided the issue of the battle of Ipsus in B.C. 301 or 300 against his quondam ally, who was killed in the fight. Being now the most powerful of Alexander's successors, he obtained the largest share in the conquered kingdom, a great part of Asia Minor and the whole of Syria falling to him. In 293 he gave the provinces beyond the Euphrates to his son, Antiochus, who afterwards succeeded him. He afterwards waged successful Lysimachus, King of Thrace. He was assassinated wars against Demetrius, King of Macedon, and about B.C. 280 by Ptolemy Ceraunus. His son and successor was Antiochus I. Soter (c.280-61). followed by his son Antiochus II. Theos (261-46), who was assassinated by Seleucus II. Callinicus (246-26). Seleucus II. was driven from his kingdom by Ptolemy Euergetes (q.v.). He recovered his throne on Ptolemy's withdrawal, and succeeded in maintaining his hold on Syria and most of Asia Minor against both the Egyptians tempted to exercise independent authority over and his younger brother, Antiochus, who atpart of Asia Minor. Seleucus undertook an exand Bactria, but was routed by Arsaces the Great, pedition against the revolted provinces of Parthia the deliverer of Parthia, while in the west several provinces were wrested from him by Attalus, the King of Pergamum. His sons, Seleucus III. Ce

raunus (226-23) and Antiocus III. the Great (223-187), were his successors. The latter was 190 and forced to relinquish a great part of Asia vanquished by the Romans at Magnesia in B.C. Minor. Seleucus IV. Philopator (187-75) was eager to dispossess Attalus of the provinces which he had taken, but fear of the Romans prevented him from carrying out his design. He was succeeded by Antiochus IV. Epiphanes (175164), in whose reign the Jews rose under the Maccabees. The succeeding princes of the dynasty I. Soter (162-50), who was defeated and slain by were Antiochus V. Eupator (164-62); Demetrius

the impostor Alexander Balas (150-46); Demetrius II. Nicator (146-38, 128-25), who overthrew the impostor, and was himself a prisoner among the Parthians for ten years, Syria having been seized by Diodotus, surnamed Trypho, who set up

the puppet Antiochus IV. Theos (c.144-42), and afterwards ascended the throne himself (142-37); Antiochus VII. Sidetes (137-28), who restored the royal line of the Seleucidæ, after whom Demetrius again reigned until his defeat by the pretender Alexander Sebina, his rule marking the loss of the original centre of Seleucian power to the Parthians; Antiochus VIII. Grypus (12596), who was compelled to share his dominions with his half-brother, Antiochus IV. Cyzicenus from B.C. 111; Seleucus V. or VI. Epiphanes (96-94), and Antiochus X. Eusebes (95-83), who continued the division until about B.C. 94, when the latter was victorious in a pitched bat

tle, and seized the whole kingdom, for which, however, he was forced to fight with Philip, and Antiochus XI. Epiphanes (q.v.), the younger brother of Seleucus, and Demetrius III. Eucarus (94-88), a third brother of Seleucus, who, with Philip, next claimed the sovereignty, which was taken from them by Tigranes (83-69), King of Armenia, at the solicitation of the Syrians; Antiochus XII. Dionysus (q.v.), a fourth brother of Seleucus, and Antiochus XIII. Asiaticus (6965), who came into conflict with the Romans, and was deprived of his possessions, which were converted into a Roman province by Pompey in B.C. 64. SELEU'CUS. See SELEUCIDÆ.

SELF (AS. self, seolf, Goth, silba, OHG., Ger. selb, self; perhaps connected with Ir. selb, possession). In psychology, a term synonymous with the 'conscious individual;' i.e. a self is a mind plus a body. It covers the whole range of consciousness, and is completed only in the course of the individual's existence. It is conceivable that a self should exist without self-consciousness or a consciousness of self. The self is the organism-mind and body-considered structurally; consciousness of self is a function performed by those conscious processes which refer to or ideate the self. Self-consciousness, then, is set over against consciousness of external reality, of things which lie outside the individual. The two consciousnesses are composed of similar processes, but have entirely different references. Self may also mean the mental ego alone. Even in the narrower sense, a 'self' or a 'mind' implies more than a collection of mental processes taken at haphazard. It implies the interrelations which always subsist among the processes of a given individual. It is often said that 'no two people are alike,' and this is undoubtedly true, quite apart from bodily differences. The dissimilarities which inhere in selves or minds are to be referred to unlikenesses of mental con

stitution (q.v.), i.e. to differences in memory type, in habitual modes of association, in temperament, in liability to emotional excitement, in differences in the unitariness of one's experiences, in rash impulsiveness or balanced sanity, in tendency to criminal action or to religious fervor, and so on. All these things are indicative of ultimate variations in mental tendency. They form the basis for the heterogene ity of society.

When an individual's act exhibits his peculiar mental constitution we say that the act is 'characteristic,' that it is just like him,' meaning that in the action the individual has expressed his 'self-hood,' that the act was not determined by a chance impulse, but that it represented a long line of 'tendency' (q.v.). Consult authorities under SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS.

SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS. Self-consciousness or 'consciousness of self' may be either a perception or idea or it may be a concept. When one thinks of one's existence as an individual (a certain mind and a certain body) one has an 'idea of self.' If self is considered in the abstract, without any personal reference-not 'myself,' or 'himself,' or 'herself,' simply a 'self'-it becomes a concept; psychology is interested in such a concept only in so far as it is interested in concepts in general, i.e. in seeking to determine the mental processes that underlie their formation. (See CONCEPT.) It has more to in

vestigate in the perception or idea of self. Psychology has to ask (1) what processes enter into the formation of the perception or idea, and (2) how the self comes to be perceived or ideated. These questions are most easily answered by saying that the self is a simple, unitary, active principle' or 'thing' which dwells within the body and directs it. But since no such 'principle' or 'thing' can be found when the mind is looked at critically, we must infer that this notion of self is got by putting a concrete though fantastic filling into the abstract conceptual self. If we scrutinize the self-idea for its real ‘empirical' filling, we find that its contents vary from day to day, from minute to minute. Now it is 'myself' as performing my part in a given situation, social, professional, domestic, religious; now it is 'myself' carrying certain responsibilities, owing certain obligations, sustaining certain relations with others, possessing property, family, friends. But in all this shifting of the self-idea there are certain constant elements which support the whole. The most prominent of these are one's name, the words 'I' and 'my;' visual and tactual perceptions of the body; numerous sensations of internal movements; a feeling of 'self-complacency;' 'selfsatisfaction;' and a mass of relatively stable organic sensations which are not ordinarily anaIyzed and referred to their various points of origin, but come to consciousness 'in the lump.' The constancy and stability of all these things depend upon bodily and mental constitution (see MENTAL CONSTITUTION and SELF), which means and to act in a definite and permanent manner. in every individual a tendency to appear, to feel,

and partly individual. Every person is an obThe origin of the idea of self is partly social ject to other persons. He is treated as a permanent being, as a centre of activity and as a unit in the community. In addition to this, his own experience is more or less coherent, more or less of a whole, and his conscious actions lead him to consider himself as an originator in the external

world of things. See WILL and APPERCEPTION.

(Leipzig, 1893); Ribot, Diseases of Memory Consult: Wundt, Physiologische Psychologie (Eng. trans., New York, 1882); James, Principles of Psychology (ib., 1890); Kuelpe, Outlines of Psychology, trans. (ib., 1895); Titchener, Outline of Psychology (ib., 1899); Stout, Manual of Psychology (ib., 1899); Royce, Psychology (ib.,

1903).

SELF-DEFENSE. In law, the defense of one's person or property from threatened violence or injury by the exercise of force. Selfdefense is one of the forms of remedy by selfhelp (q.v.). In general one may defend himself from assault or unlawful attack by the use of force provided he use no more force than is necessary to accomplish that result, and his act will give rise to no civil or criminal liability. If he use more force than is necessary to repel the attack, he will be liable both civilly and criminally for assault. Under these conditions both the assailant and the person assailed may be guilty of assault. The rule that, in the exercise of his right of self-defense, one may meet force with force is subject to one other important qualification. He may not carry his forcible resistance to the point of taking life when he may safely retreat from his assailant. Whenever

the circumstances will not permit him to retreat from his assailant with apparently reasonable safety, he may kill his assailant if such action be necessary to protect his own life or to protect his person from severe bodily injury, and his act will be deemed justifiable homicide (q.v.). Under any other circumstances the killing of an assailant under guise of self-defense is manslaughter (q.v.), and may be murder (q.v.) if the killing is premeditated. Upon the principle of self-defense one may forcibly resist an illegal arrest. The resistance, however, must fall short of taking life unless the consequence of the arrest would be to take the prisoner to an uncivilized country, where he would be beyond the reach of legal process. In that case he may kill if necessary to prevent the arrest. One may also forcibly resist an unlawful attack upon another, particularly if that other is one who has a natural claim to his protection, as a wife, child, or even a servant who is a member of his family. The law of defense of property is precisely like that relating to the defense of the person, except that under no circumstance is the taking of life as a means of protecting property justifiable. One who kills to protect property is guilty of manslaughter, and if the killing is premeditated or done under circumstances of aggravation, it may be murder. The law also recognizes a distinct right to protect the dwelling house, as it is called, which combines the characteristics of both defense of the person and defense of the property. At common law, one's dwelling house was said to be his castle. The true meaning of the phrase is that one has the right to make his dwelling a means of defense. Once inside his dwelling, or 'at the threshold' as it was said, he might forcibly resist attacks upon himself and the other inmates of the dwelling and, without retreating, kill his assailant if necessary to repel the attack. See REMEDY; MURDER; MANSLAUGHTER; HOMICIDE.

SELF-DENYING ORDINANCE. A measure carried through the English Parliament in 1645 by the influence of Cromwell and the Inde pendents, with the view of removing inefficient or lukewarm commanders from the army. The ordinance proposed that no member of either House should, during the war, enjoy or execute any office or command, civil or military, and that those holding such offices should vacate them in forty days. It was intended to take the executive power out of the hands of the more moderate politicians, and form an army independent of Parliament; and was the subject of violent and protracted debate, but eventually passed in both Houses, and became law. Essex, Warwick, Manchester, and others resigned, and the conduct of the war was intrusted to Fairfax. Cromwell, to whom, as a member of the Lower House, the Self-Denying Ordinance extended as much as to Essex and the rest, had the duration of his commission prolonged by the Commons on account of his invaluable services as a leader of cavalry, and by his brilliant achievements soon surpassed his commander in reputation.

SELF-HELP. A legal phrase signifying that form of remedy by which one may prevent or redress a wrong without resorting to a legal proceeding, as, for example, the right of self-defense; the right to abate a nuisance; the right of the owner to retake property of which he has

been wrongfully deprived. See REMEDY; SELFDEFENSE; DISTRESS; NUISANCE, etc. SELF-INDUCTION. See ELECTRICITY, paragraph Induced Electric Currents.

SELF'RIDGE, THOMAS OLIVER, JR. (1836-). An American naval officer, born in Boston, Mass., and educated at Annapolis. In the Civil War he commanded the Osage in the Red River expedition, during which he inflicted a heavy loss on the Confederates at Blair's plantation, and later led a division of the landing sailors who bombarded Fort Fisher. After the war he di rected the surveys for the canal across the Isthmus of Panama, in 1869-73; was a member of the International Congress held at Paris to consider: the question of that canal in 1876; and, while in charge of the Newport torpedo station (188185), invented a means of protecting ships from torpedoes. In 1896 he became rear-admiral, and he retired in 1898.

SELIGMAN, EDWIN ROBERT ANDERSON (1861-). A political economist, born in New York City. He graduated at Columbia College, 1879, and received the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy and Bachelor of Laws from the same institution in 1884, after having studied at Berlin, Heidelberg, Geneva, and Paris. In 1885 he became prize lecturer, in 1888 adjunct professor, in 1891 professor of political economy and finance at Columbia University. In 1901 he became president of the American Economic Association. His principal works are: Railway Tariffs and the Interstate Commerce Law (1887); Two Chapters on the Mediaval Guilds of England (1887); The Shifting and Incidence of Taxation (1892; 2d ed., enlarged, 1899); Essays in Taxation (1895; 3d ed. 1900); The Economic Interpretation of Hictory (1902).

SEʼLIM, Turk. pron. sâ-lēm'. The name of three sultans of the Ottoman Empire. SELIM I., son of Bajazet II., was born about 1467. He became Sultan in 1512, after dethroning his father with the aid of the Janizaries. To secure himself, he caused his father, brothers, and nephwhich won for him the surname of the Inflexiews to be put to death, thus beginning a policy ble. In 1514 he invaded Persia and massacred 40,000 Shiites. He defeated the army of Shah Ismail near Khoi, in Azerbaijan, conquered Mesopotamia and Kurdistan, overran Armenia, and, leaving his lieutenants to complete this conquest, marched against Kansuh El-Churi, Mameluke Sultan of Egypt, whom he had previously endeavored to detach from alliance with the Persian monarch. The Mameluke army was totally defeated (1516) at Marj Dabik, and Syria became the prize of Selim. Kansuh's successor, Tuman Bey, succumbed to the Turkish arms and Egypt was incorporated with the Ottoman Empire (1517). The last lineal descendant of the Abbassid caliphs, who was then resident in Egypt, transmitted to Selim the title of Imam and the standard of the Prophet. The Ottoman Sultan thus became chief of Islam, as the representative of Mohammed, and the sacred cities of Mecca and Medina acknowledged his supremacy. Selim laid the foundation of a regular navy, constructed the arsenal of Pera, disciplined the Janizaries, and improved the organization of his empire. He died on September 22, 1520. Selim was an able statesman and a lover of literature and poetry.

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He was succeeded by his son, Solyman the Magnificent.

SELIM II. (1524-74), known as the Drunkard, was the son of Solyman the Magnificent. He succeeded his father in 1566. The Turkish dominions were extended by the subjugation of Yemen (1570) and the conquest of Cyprus from the Venetians (1571), but the naval power of the Ottoman Empire suffered a blow in the defeat at Lepanto (q.v.), in 1571, from which it never recovered. SELIM III. (1761-1808) was the only son of Mustapha III., and ascended the throne on the death of his uncle, Abd-ul-Hamid I., in 1789. He inaugurated a radical progressive policy to counteract the dangers that threatened his empire. He inherited a war with Russia and Austria, which he closed by the Treaty of Sistova with Austria (1791) and that of Jassy (1792) with Russia, whose frontiers were advanced to the Dniester. The invasion of Egypt by Napoleon (1798) led to war with France, which was concluded by a treaty signed in 1802, the Sultan remaining thereafter friendly to the French. In attempting to reorganize the army on a European model and to introduce innovations in industry Selim III. aroused all the bigotry of his subjects. In May, 1807, a formidable rebellion broke out at Constantinople, headed by the Janizaries, and the Sultan was compelled to issue a decree abrogating his reforms, but this failed to satisfy the leaders of the insurrection, and Selim saw himself forced to resign the throne to his cousin, Mustapha IV. In the 1808 uprising Mustapha-Bairaktar, the Pasha of Rustchuk, one of the Sultan's chief advisers, marched upon Constantinople, in order to reinstate Selim on the throne, but the unfortunate monarch was strangled by order of Mustapha IV.

SELINUS (Lat., from Gk. Zeλivoûs, Selinous). An ancient Greek colony in Southwest Sicily, at the mouth of the Selinus river. It was founded about B.C. 629 by colonists from Megara Hybla. Its constant wars with the neighboring Elymi of Segesta led to the Athenian expedition, B.C. 415, and later to Carthaginian intervention, which resulted in the destruction of the city, B.C. 409. Though reëstablished, the city never regained its former prosperity, and during the First Punic War (about B.C. 250) the Carthaginians removed the inhabitants to Lilybæum. The ruins include the walls of the ancient Acropolis on a hill above the sea, the Necropolis, and especially the temples, seven in number in two groups, four on the Acropolis and three on a hill to the east, one of which is among the largest Greek temples known. It has an extreme length of about 371 feet and breadth of 177 feet, while the cella alone is 228X59 feet. Consult Benndorf, Die Metopen von Selinunt (Berlin, 1873).

SELJUKS, sěl jōōks. A Turkish dynasty which ruled over a great part of Western Asia in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. A few years after the death of Mahmud of Ghazni (q.v.) in 1030, the Ghuz Turks, under the leadership of two brothers, Tchakyr Beg and Tughrul (Togrul) Beg, grandsons of a chieftain named Seljuk, overran Persia and made themselves masters of it. Tughrul Beg established his authority in the dominions of the Caliph of Bagdad, by whom he was proclaimed 'King of the East and of the West.' In 1063 Tughrul died and was succeeded by Alp Arslan (q.v.), whose dominions

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extended northeastward far into Turkestan, and who carried his arms into Armenia and Georgia and against the Greeks. In 1071 he took the Byzantine Emperor Romanus Diogenes prisoner in a battle fought in Armenia. Alp Arslan was succeeded by Malek Shah (1072-92), in whose reign the Seljukian Turks established their dominion in Syria and Asia Minor, where independent Seljuk sovereignties were founded. Asia Minor arose the Sultanate of Iconium (Konieh) or of Rum (that is, the land of the Greeks, or Byzantines, whose country was known to the Mohammedans under the name of Rum, Rome). Toward the end of Malek Shah's reign arose the sect of the Assassins (q.v.), under the notorious Hassan ibn as-Sabbah. Malek Shah was followed by his sons, Nasir ad-Din (1092-94) and Barkiyarok (1094-1104), both rulers of little initiative. Another son, Mohammed (1104-18), who had absorbed much of the kingdom before his accession, proved more energetic. He made an active campaign against the Assassins, and was on the point of reducing them by famine when he died. He was followed by his last surviving brother, Sanjar (1118-57). This monarch paid little attention to the provinces west of Khorasan, which were broken up into little principalities, but retained firm control of the eastern districts as far as Transoxania. Within less than half a century after his death the remnants of Seljuk dominion in Iran were swept away by the Khwaresmians. In 1096 the Seljuks came into collision with Western Christendom, whose armies in the First Crusade took Jerusalem in 1096. The armies of the Second Crusade (1147-48) fought unsuccessfully against Nureddin, who made himself master of Syria, and whose dominions after his death (1174) became the prey of Saladin, Sultan of Egypt. The Sultanate of Rum outlived the other Seljuk realms, surviving till the close of the thirteenth century, when it was broken up into fragments on whose ruins the Ottoman Turks laid the foundations of their empire.

The Seljuk period is noteworthy in the history of Persian literature as being its second golden age. At the Court such poets as Omar Khayyam, Farid ud-Din Attar, Jalal ud-Din Rumi Sadi, and Anvari were honored, while art and science flourished as they have never since flour

ished in Persia.

Consult: Houtsma, Recueil de textes relatifs à l'histoire des Seldjoucides (Leyden, 1886-91); Horn, "Geschichte Irans in islamitischer Zeit," in Geiger and Kuhn, Grundriss der iranischen Philologie, ii. (Strassburg, 1900).

SELKIRK, or SELCRAIG, ALEXANDER (1676-1723). An English mariner, supposed prototype of Robinson Crusoe. He was born at Largo, Fifeshire, and early joined privateering expeditions to the South Seas. In 1704, when sailing-master of the Cinque Ports, he quarreled with the captain, and was at his own request put ashore upon the island of Juan Fernandes. After a residence there of four years and four months, he was rescued by Capt. Woodes Rogers, who subsequently gave him command of the Increase prize-ship. He again went to sea, and rose to be lieutenant of H. M. S. Weymouth, on board of which he died. In 1712 there appeared Capt. Rogers's Cruising Voyage Round the World and Capt. Edward Cooke's Voyage to the South

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