Paeonia \pe-'o-ne-o\ Ancient land, in what is now northern Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, and western Bulgaria. Paeonia originally included the whole Vardar River valley. The Paeonians were weakened by the Persian invasion of 490 bc, and the tribes living along the Stry- mon River fell under Thracian control. The growth of ancient Macedonia forced the remaining tribes north, and they were defeated by Philip II in 358 bc. It became part of the Roman province of Macedonia; by ad 400 the Paeonians had lost their identity and Paeonia was merely a geographic term.
Paestum Vpes-tom, 'pes-tomX Ancient city, southern Italy. Located on the Gulf of Salerno (the ancient Bay of Paestum), the city was founded in the 6th century bc by Greek colonists from Sybaris, who called it Posei- donia. It was taken by the Lucanians, an indigenous Italic people, in the 4th century bc. They ruled until 273 bc, when the city was captured by the Romans. Deserted after its sack by Muslim raiders in ad 871, the aban¬ doned site’s remains were discov¬ ered in the 18th century. It is known for its three Doric temples and its The Temple of Athena at Paestum city walls of travertine blocks. aunari/artresource, newvork
pagan Traditional designation of a
practitioner of classical polytheisms. The early Christians often used the term to refer to non-Christians who worshiped multiple deities. Christian missionaries frequently sought to stamp out pagan practices by building churches on the sites of pagan shrines or by associating Christian holi¬ days with pagan rituals (e.g., linking Christmas with the celebration of the winter solstice). The term pagan was also used to refer to non-Christian philosophers, and in the 20th century it was used to identify members of certain new religious movements. See Neo-paganism.
Pagan \ps-'gan\ Village, central Myanmar (Burma). Extending along the left bank of the Irrawaddy River, southwest of Mandalay, it was founded c. ad 849 and was the capi¬ tal of a powerful dynasty from the 11th to the 13th century. It was con¬ quered by the Mongols in 1287. As a centre of Buddhist learning, it is a pilgrimage destination and contains Buddhist shrines that have been restored and redecorated and are in current use. Ruins of other shrines
The Ananda temple, Pagan; its top portion, a restoration, was broken off in an earthquake in 1975
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1432 I Paganini ► Paige
and pagodas cover a wide area. An earthquake in 1975 severely damaged more than half of the important structures and irreparably destroyed many of them. The village also has a school for lacquerware, for which the region is noted.
Paganini \,pa-g3-'ne-ne\, Niccolo (b. Oct. 27, 1782, Genoa, Repub¬ lic of Genoa—d. May 27, 1840,
Nice, France) Italian violinist and composer. A prodigy, he joined an orchestra by age nine. He toured Italy (1810-28), renowned as its greatest violin virtuoso. His long- deferred international tour (1830—
34) met with sensational success.
Paganini’s romantic personality and adventures created in his own day the legend of a Mephistophelean fig¬ ure. He greatly extended violin tech¬ nique, employing a wide use of harmonics, pizzicato effects, and new methods of fingering and even of tuning. His numerous composi¬ tions include 24 Caprices (1801-07) for solo violin, displaying the novel features of his technique, and six violin concertos.
Page, Alan (Cedric) (b. Aug. 7,
1945, Canton, Ohio, U.S.) U.S. grid¬ iron football player. He was an All- America defensive end for Notre Dame. Playing tackle for the Minnesota Vikings (1967-78), he became part of its legendary “Purple People Eat¬ ers” front line. In 1971 he became the first defensive player to win the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award. He earned a law degree in 1978 and continued playing with the Chicago Bears (to 1981) while engaging in private practice. He never missed a game in his 15-year career. In 1993 he was named to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Page, Geraldine (b. Nov. 22, 1924, Kirksville, Mo., U.S.—d. June 13, 1987, New York, N.Y.) U.S. actress. She studied drama in Chicago and New York and won fame on Broadway as Alma Winemiller in Sum¬ mer and Smoke (1952; film, 1961). Noted for her intuitiveness and cre¬ ativity in capturing her often vulnerable, eccentric characters, she starred in The Rainmaker (1954-55), Separate Tables (1957-58), Strange Inter¬ lude (1963), and Agnes of God (1982). Her films include Hondo (1953), Sweet Bird of Youth (1962), and The Trip to Bountiful (1985, Academy Award). She won Emmy Awards for A Christmas Memory (1966) and The Thanksgiving Visitor (1968).
pageant \'pa-jont\ Large-scale, spectacular theatrical production or pro¬ cession. In the Middle Ages, a pageant was the wagon on which religious m plays such as mystery plays were performed. Because the plays were asso¬
ciated with ceremony and spectacle, the term came to refer to any extrava¬ gant dramatic event or colourful celebration. Pageants often serve to express the shared identity of a community or religious group. Secular pageants include coronations and royal weddings; other modern examples are seen in Mardi Gras and other carnival processions.
Paget Vpa-jotX, Sir James (b. Jan. 11, 1814, Great Yarmouth, Nor¬ folk, Eng.—d. Dec. 30, 1899, London) British surgeon and physiologist. In 1834 he discovered the parasite that causes trichinosis. He gave excel¬ lent descriptions of breast cancer, Paget disease of breast (an inflamma¬ tory cancerous condition around the nipple), and Paget disease of bone (1877). He was one of the first to recommend surgical removal of bone marrow tumours instead of amputation of the limb.
Paget disease of bone or osteitis \ l as-te-'it-os\ deformans Chronic bone disease of middle age. Named for James Paget, it is char¬ acterized by excessive bone destruction alternating with disordered bone construction (with dense, brittle bones and deformity that can compress internal structures). The long bones, vertebrae, pelvis, and skull are most often affected, more often in men. The risk of cancer, usually osteosar¬ coma, is high. Increased blood supply to the area of bone destruction may lead to heart or circulatory problems. Calcitonin (which regulates bone growth) and bisphosphonates (which block excessive bone breakdown) are drugs of treatment.
Pago Pago Npaq-o-'paq-o, 'pa-go-'pa-gcA Town and agglomeration of towns (pop., 2000: 4,278) that form the capital of American Samoa. Located on the shore of a deep inlet on the southern side of Tutuila Island in the South Pacific Ocean, it was selected in 1872 as the site of a U.S. Navy coaling station. An active naval base until 1951, it is now a regular port of call. Its airport, opened in 1964, has stimulated tourist traffic and modernization.
pagoda Towerlike, multistoried structure of stone, brick, or wood, usu¬ ally associated with a Buddhist temple complex and enshrining sacred relics. The pagoda evolved from the Indian stupa. The pagoda’s crowning ornament is bottle-shaped in Tibet and pyramidal or conical in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. In China, Korea, and Japan, a pagoda is a tall tower repeating a basic story unit in diminishing pro¬ portions. The stories may be circular, square, or polygonal. The pagoda form is intended mainly as a monu¬ ment and has very little usable inte¬ rior space.
Pahang \pa-'haq\ River River,
Malaysia, the longest on the Malay Peninsula. It rises in the Main Range and flows south and east to the South China Sea. It is 285 mi (459 km) long and navigable by boats for most of its length. Deforestation in the riv¬ er’s basin has led to heavy flooding during the monsoon season.