Melchites. 451-. Middle Eastern Roman Catholic sect with rites in Arabic, affirming Christ’s dual human/divine nature.

Melfi, Constitution of. 1231. Administrative law code of Sicily. Basis of later law codes.

Melilla. Spanish city on Moroccan coast conquered 1497. Berbers.

Melville, Herman. 1819-91. US novelist. Moby Dick 1851.

Melville, Lord. 1742-1811. British minister under Pitt. Impeached, 1805; acquitted.

Menander. 342-292BC. Greek comic dramatist. Dyscolus 316BC.

Mencken, H.L. 1880-1956. US iconoclast critic. American Language. Prejudices 1919-27.

Mendel, Gregor. 1822-84. Austrian abbot, botanist. Studied heredity. Genetics 1865.

Mendeleyev, Dmitri. 1834-1907. Russian chemist: periodic classification of the elements 1869.

Menderes, Adnan. 1899-1961. Turkish Prime Minister 1950-60. Executed for dictatorship.

Mendicant Friars. 13C-. Religious orders depending on alms. Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians, Carmelites.

Menendez de Aviles, Pedro. 1519-74. Spanish colonist. Massacred Huguenots in Florida 1565.

Menkure. 2500BC. Smallest Giza pyramid.

Mennonites. 1536. Christian pacifist congregationalist sect based on Anabaptists but teaching conservatism.

Mensheviks. 1903-22. Pacifist minority Social Democratic Workers Party members under Martov split from Bolsheviks. Sought gradual vs revolutionary socialism. Suppressed after October Revolution.

Menzies, Robert. 1894-1978. Australian Liberal Prime Minister 1939-41, 49-66. ANZUS. SEATO.

Mephistopheles. Faust’s devil.

Mercantilism. 16-18C. Economic policy opposed to Adam Smith’s. Regulation of industry and trade. Large armies. Wealth of nation is its gold.

Merchants of the Steelyards. -1598. German traders in London.

Meredith, George. 1828-1909. English manners novelist. Intellectual, witty and poetic. Ordeal 1859. Egoist 1879. Dianna of the Crossways 1885.

Merezhkovsky, Dmitri. 1865-1941. Russian historical novelist. Christ and Antichrist 1896-1905.

Merleau-Ponty, Maurice. 1908-61. French philosopher blending existentialism, Marxism, phenomenology.

Merovingians. 476-751. Frankish dynasty. Childeric founded; Clovis expanded empire to modern France, Germany, Belgium, N Italy. Austrasia, Neustria; 534+Burgundy. Clotaire. Carolingians.

Merrimack. 1862. Fought Monitor in first battle of iron-clad ships. American Civil War.

Mersen, Treaty. 870. Divided Lotharingia. Charles II and Louis the German establish French/German frontier.

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