marlin Any of four species (genus Makaira, family Istiophoridae) of deep-blue to blue-green marine fish with a long body, a long dorsal fin, a rounded spear extending from the snout (which it uses to club the fish it feeds on), and usually pale vertical stripes. They are highly prized for sport and food. Species range in weight from about 100 lbs (45 kg) to more than 1,500 lbs (700 kg). The Indo-Pacific black marlin (M. nigicans) has a distinctive, stiff pectoral fin set at an angle.
Marlowe, Christopher (baptized Feb. 26, 1564, Canterbury, Kent, Eng.—d. May 30, 1593, Deptford, near London) British poet and play¬ wright. The son of a Canterbury shoemaker, he earned a degree from Cambridge University. From 1587 he wrote plays for London theatres, starting with Tamburlaine the Great (published 1590), in which he estab¬ lished dramatic blank verse. Tamburlaine was followed by Dido, Queen of Carthage (published 1594), cowritten with Thomas Nashe; The Massacre at Paris (c. 1594); and Edward II (1594). His most famous play is The Tragicall History of Doctor Faustus (published 1604), which uses the dramatic framework of a morality play in its presentation of a story of temptation, fall, and damnation. The Jew of Malta (published 1633) may have been his final work. His poetry includes the unfinished long poem Hero and Leander. Known for leading a disreputable life, he died a vio¬ lent death at age 29 in a tavern brawl; he may have been assassinated because of his service as a government spy. His brilliant, though short, career makes him William Shakespeare’s most important contemporary in English drama.
Marmara Vmar-ma-roV Sea of Inland sea lying between the Asian and European parts of Turkey. It is connected with the Black Sea through the Bosporus, and with the Aegean Sea through the Dardanelles. It is 175 mi (280 km) long and nearly 50 mi (80 km) wide, and it occupies an area of 4,382 sq mi (11,350 sq km). The sea has two distinct island groups. The Kizil Islands in the northeast are primarily resort areas. The Marmara Islands in the southwest are rich in granite, slate, and marble, which have been quarried since antiquity.
marmoset Any species of arboreal, diurnal, long-tailed South Ameri¬ can monkey (family Callitrichidae) classified in two groups: eight species with short tusks (lower canine teeth), called marmosets, and 25 with long tusks, called tamarins. Marmosets move in a quick, jerky manner and eat insects and sometimes fruit and small animals. Members of the common marmoset genus Callithrix are 6-10 in. (15-25 cm) long, excluding the 10-16-in. (25-40-cm) tail. The dense, silky fur is white, reddish, or black¬ ish; the ears are generally tufted. Marmosets have been kept as pets since the early 17th century.
marmot Vmar-moA Any of about 14 species (genus Marmota) of stout¬ bodied, diurnal, terrestrial squirrels found in North America, Europe, and Asia. Marmots are 12-24 in. (30-60 cm) long, excluding the short tail, and weigh 7-17 lbs (3-7.5 kg). Most species live in burrows or among
boulders. They frequently sit upright and emit a whistling alarm call. Mar¬ mots live almost entirely on green plants, storing fat for hibernation.
The black-and-white hoary marmot (M. caligata ), of Siberia and north¬ western North America, which hiber¬ nates for up to nine months, is hunted for food and fur. The yellow-bellied marmot (M. flaviventris) inhabits the western U.S. and British Columbia.
See also woodchuck.
Marne, First Battle of the (Sept. 6-12, 1914) Military offensive by French and British troops in World War I. After the invading German forces had moved to within 30 mi (50 km) of Paris at the Marne River, Joseph-Jacques-Cesaire Joffre counterattacked and halted the German advance. French reinforcements were driven to the front by 600 Paris taxis, the first automotive transport of troops. French and British troops forced the Germans to retreat north of the Aisne River, where they dug in to conduct the trench warfare of the next three years. The Allied suc¬ cess thwarted Germany’s plan for a quick victory on the Western Front.
Marne, Second Battle of the (July 15-18, 1918) Last large Ger¬ man attack in World War I. As part of its final offensive to split the French forces, German troops under Erich Ludendorff crossed the Marne River but were met by strong French resistance under Ferdinand Foch. Allied counterattacks, especially at the Marne salient, forced the Germans to retreat to their former position along the Aisne and Vesle rivers.
Marne \'marn\ River River, northeastern France. It flows northwest into the Seine River near Paris. It is navigable for 220 mi (350 km) of its total length of 326 mi (525 km) and has extensive canals. Its valley was the scene of crucial battles in World War I (see First Battle of the Marne; Second Battle of the Marne).
Maroni \ma-'ro-ne\ River River forming the border between French Guiana and Suriname, South America. It rises in the Tumuc-Humuc Moun¬ tains near the Brazilian border and descends northward to enter the Atlan¬ tic Ocean at Point Galibi, Suri., after a course of 450 mi (725 km). Its upper course is known as the Litani in Suriname or Itany in French Gui¬ ana; its middle course is called the Lawa or Aoua. Shallow-draft vessels can navigate about 60 mi (100 km) upstream from the river’s mouth.
Maronite Church Vmar-o-.nltX Eastern-rite community centered in Lebanon (see Eastern Rite Church). It traces its origin to St. Maron, a Syr¬ ian hermit of the 4th-5th century ad, and St. John Maron, under whom the invading Byzantine forces were defeated in 684. For several centu¬ ries the Maronites were considered heretics, followers of Sergius, patri¬ arch of Constantinople, who taught that Jesus had only a divine will and not a human will. No permanent affiliation with Rome took place until the 16th century. A hardy mountain people, the Maronites preserved their freedom in Lebanon during the Muslim caliphate. In 1860 the Ottoman government incited a massacre of the Maronites by the Druze, an event that led to the establishment of Maronite autonomy within the Ottoman empire. The Maronites obtained self-rule under French protection in the early 20th century. Since the establishment of a fully independent Leba¬ non in 1943, they have constituted a major religious group in the coun¬ try. Their spiritual leader (after the pope) is the patriarch of Antioch, and the church retains the ancient West Syrian liturgy.
Marot \ma-'ro\, Clement (b. 1496?, Cahors, France—d. September 1544, Turin, Savoy) French poet. While imprisoned in 1526 for defying Lenten abstinence regulations, he wrote some of his best-known works, including “The Inferno,” an allegorical satire on justice. He held several court posts; his long service to Francis I was only briefly interrupted. One of the greatest poets of the French Renaissance, he markedly influenced the style of his successors with his use of the forms and imagery of Latin poetry. When not writing official court poems, he spent most of his time translating the Psalms.
Marquesas \mar-'ka-s3z\ Islands Island group (pop., 1996: 8,064), French Polynesia. Located in the central South Pacific Ocean northeast of Tahiti, the Marquesas comprise 10 islands. The southeastern group includes Hiva Oa, the largest and most populous island and the burial place of artist Paul Gauguin; Fatu Hiva and Tahuata; and the uninhabited Motane and Fatu Huku. The northwestern group comprises Nuku Hiva,
Olympic marmot (Marmota olympus).
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Ua Pu, Ua Huka, Eiao, and Hatutu. The Spanish explorer Alvaro de Mendana de Neira named the islands for the marquesa de Mendoza in 1595. Annexed by France in 1842, the Marquesas form an administrative division of French Polynesia with headquarters at Taiohae on Nuku Hiva.