Lucretius \lu-'kre-sh3s\ in full Titus Lucretius Carus (fl. 1st century bc) Latin poet and philosopher. He is known for his long poem On the Nature of Things, the fullest extant statement of the physical theory of Epicurus. In it Lucretius established the main principles of atomism and refuted the rival theories of Heracleitus, Empedocles, and Anaxagoras; dem¬ onstrated the atomic structure and mortality of the soul; described the mechanics of sense perception, thought, and certain bodily functions; and described the creation and working of the world and of the celestial bod¬ ies and the evolution of life and human society.
Lucullus \lu-'ko-bs\, Lucius Licinius (b. c. 117—d. 57/56 bc) Roman general who served as consul in 74 bc. He fought alongside Sulla and was the only officer to take part in Sulla’s march on Rome. After Sulla’s death Lucullus maintained his power through intrigue. He commanded the legions that drove Mithradates from Bithynia and Pontus to Armenia and later invaded Armenia and defeated its king, Tigranes. Mutinies prevented his complete victory, and Lucullus was replaced by Pompey, whom he opposed in the Senate. His legendary hedonism and extravagance made the word Lucullan a synonym of “lavish.”
Lucy Nickname for a remarkably complete (40% intact) hominin skeleton found by Donald Johanson at Hadar, Eth., in 1974 and dated to 3.2 million years ago. The specimen is usually classified as Australopithecus afarensis and suggests—by having long arms, short legs, an apelike chest and jaw, and a small brain but a relatively humanlike pelvis—that bipedal locomo¬ tion preceded the development of a larger (more humanlike) brain in hom¬ inin evolution. Lucy stood about 3 ft 7 in. (109 cm) tall and weighed about 60 lbs (27 kg). See also Hadar remains; Laetoli footprints; Sterkfontein.
lud \'lud\ Among the Votyak and Zyryan peoples of Russia, a sacred grove, usually consisting of fir trees, where sacrifices were performed. Enclosed by a high fence, the lud contained a place for a fire and tables for the sacrificial meal. It was forbidden to break even a branch from a tree in the grove, which was watched over by a hereditary guardian. The annual sacrificial rite generally centered on an ancient tree dedicated to a deity. All food had to be consumed at the site, and the hides of sacrificed animals were hung from the trees. Groves were sacred in most other Finno-Ugric religions as well.
Luda See Dalian
Luddite Member of organized groups of early 19th-century English craftsmen who surreptitiously destroyed the textile machinery that was replacing them. The movement began in Nottingham in 1811 and spread to other areas in 1812. The Luddites, or “Ludds,” were named after a probably mythical leader, Ned Ludd. They operated at night and often enjoyed local support. Harsh repressive measures by the government included a mass trial at York in 1813 that resulted in many hangings and banishments. The term Luddite was later used to describe anyone opposed to technological change.
Ludendorff Vlii-d^-.dorfV Erich (b. April 9, 1865, Kruszewnia, near Poznan, Prussian Poland—d. Dec.
20, 1937, Munich, Ger.) German general. In 1908 he joined the Ger¬ man army general staff and worked under Helmuth von Moltke in revising the Schlieffen Plan. In World War I he was appointed chief of staff to Paul von Hindenburg, and the two won a spectacular victory at the Battle of Tannenberg. In 1916 the two generals were given supreme military control.
They tried to conduct a total war by mobilizing the entire forces of the home front, and in 1917 Ludendorff approved unrestricted submarine warfare against the British, which led to the U.S. entry into the war. In 1918, after his offensive on the West¬ ern Front failed, he demanded an armistice, but then he insisted the war continue when he realized the sever¬ ity of the Armistice conditions. Political leaders opposed him, and he resigned his post. Ludendorff insisted he had been betrayed, and for the next 20 years he led a bizarre life, becoming a leader of reactionary political movements and taking part in the Kapp Putsch (1920) and Beer Hall Putsch
Erich Ludendorff c. 1930.
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Ludlum ► Lugus I 1147
(1923). He served in Parliament as a National Socialist (1924-28) and developed a belief that “supemational powers”—Jewry, Christianity, Freemasonry—had deprived him and Germany of victory in World War I.
Ludlum, Robert (b. May 25, 1927, New York, N.Y., U.S.—d. March 12, 2001, Naples, Fla.) U.S. author of spy thrillers. He worked in the the¬ atre as an actor and a successful producer and acted for television before turning to writing. Among his best-sellers were The Scarlatti Inheritance (1971), The Osterman Weekend (1972; film, 1983), The Matarese Circle (1979), and The Bourne Identity (1980; film, 1988, 2002). Though critics often found his plots unlikely and his prose uninspired, his fast-paced combination of international espionage, conspiracy, and mayhem proved enormously popular.
Ludwig I See Louis I Ludwig II See Louis II Ludwig IV See Louis IV
Ludwig, Carl F(riedrich) W(ilhelm) (b. Dec. 29, 1816, Witzen- hausen, near Kassel, Hesse-Kassel—d. April 23, 1895, Leipzig, Ger.) Ger¬ man physician. He invented devices to record arterial blood-pressure changes, measure blood flow, and separate gases from blood (which estab¬ lished their role in blood purification). He was the first to keep animal organs alive outside the body. His paper on urine secretion in 1844 hypothesized a filtering role for the kidney. Nearly 200 of Ludwig’s stu¬ dents became prominent scientists, and he is regarded as the founder of the physicochemical school of physiology.
Lueger Vlui-goA, Karl (b. Oct. 24, 1844, Vienna, Austria—d. March 10, 1910, Vienna) Austrian politician. He was elected to the Vienna city council (1875) and to the Austrian parliament (1885), and he cofounded the Christian Social Party (1889). He effectively used the prevalent anti- Semitic and German nationalist currents in Vienna to advance his politi¬ cal objectives. He was elected mayor of Vienna in 1895 and transformed the Austrian capital into a modem city, bringing streetcars, electricity, and gas under city government control. He also developed parks, schools, and hospitals. He was instrumental in introducing universal suffrage in Aus¬ tria (1907).
luff a See loofah
Lufthansa in full Deutsche Lufthansa AG One of Europe’s larg¬ est air-passenger, cargo, and airline-services companies. The airline origi¬ nated in 1926 as Deutsche Luft Hansa AG and eventually was flying to destinations in South America and Southeast Asia before service was dis¬ rupted by World War II. The company took its current name in 1954 and began regular passenger air service in 1955. Originally a state-run airline, Lufthansa was privatized in the 1990s and began its multiyear acquisition of Swiss International Airlines in 2005. Lufthansa’s businesses include vacation travel, air freight, and aircraft maintenance.
Lug See Lugus
Lugano \lu-'ga-no. Lake or Lago Ceresio \che-'res-yo\ Lake in Switzerland and Italy, located between Maggiore and Como lakes. Strad¬ dling the border of the two countries, it has an area of 19 sq mi (49 sq km) and a maximum depth of 945 ft (288 m). Between Melide and Bis- sone, the lake is so shallow that a stone dam across it carries the St. Gotthard railway. The resort town of Lugano, on its shores in Switzer¬ land, is Italian in appearance. See photograph above.
Lugard Mu-'gardX, F(rederick) (John) D(ealtry) later Baron Lugard (of Abinger) (b. Jan. 22, 1858, Fort St. George, Madras, India—d. April 11, 1945, Abinger, Surrey, Eng.) British colonial admin¬ istrator. In Nigeria he served as high commissioner (1900-06) and gov¬ ernor and governor-general (1912-19). He fought as an officer in British campaigns in Asia and North Africa before accepting posts with the Brit¬ ish East Africa Company, the Royal Niger Company, and other private enterprises. He succeeded, in advance of the French, in establishing trade routes centred at Buganda, the Middle Niger, and Bechuanaland. As the chief government administrator in Nigeria, he united the disparate north¬ ern and southern districts and greatly influenced British colonial policy by exercising control centrally through native rulers and respecting native legal systems and customs.