Pelham-Holles, Thomas See Duke of Newcastle
pelican Any of about eight species constituting the genus Pelecanus (family Pelecanidae), white or brown birds distinguished by a large, elas¬ tic throat pouch. Some species are 70 in. (180 cm) long, have a wingspan of 10 ft (3 m), and weigh up to 30 lbs (13 kg). Most species drive fish into shallow water and, using the pouch as a dip net, scoop them up and immediately swallow them.
Pelicans inhabit freshwaters and sea- coasts in many parts of the world; they breed in colonies on islands, laying one to four eggs in a stick nest. Chicks thrust their bills down the parent’s gullet to obtain regurgi¬ tated food.
Pella Ancient capital, Macedonia.
Located in northern Greece, north¬ west of Thessaloniki, the city flour¬ ished at the end of the 5 th century bc.
Originally known as Bounomos, it developed rapidly under Philip II, but, after the Romans defeated the last Macedonian king, it became a small provincial town. Archaeological excavations began in 1957 and revealed large, well-built houses with rooms with mosaic floors dating from the late 4th century bc. Pella was the birthplace of Alexander the Great.
pellagra \p3-Ta-gro\ Nutritional disorder caused largely by a deficiency of niacin, marked by skin lesions and digestive and neurological distur¬ bances. Dermatitis usually appeal's first, with abnormal sensitivity to sun¬ light. It may look like a severe sunburn, later becoming reddish brown, rough, and scaly. Diarrhea usually alternates with constipation, along with mouth and tongue inflammation and cracking and dry scaling of the lips.
Later, mental abnormalities may include nervousness, depression, and delirium. Mild cases of niacin deficiency respond to a well-balanced diet alone. Pellagra still occurs where diets consist mostly of corn, which is low in both niacin and tryptophan (converted to niacin in the body), with little or no protein-rich food. It can also be a side effect of chronic alcoholism.
Peloponnese Vpe-lo-po-.nezX Peninsula, forming the southern part of mainland Greece. A large, mountainous body of land jutting south into the Mediterranean Sea, the peninsula has an area of 8,278 sq mi (21,439 sq km) and is joined to the rest of mainland Greece by the Isthmus of Corinth. The Mycenaean civilization flourished there in the 2nd millen¬ nium bc at Mycenae and Pylos. Its chief cities during the classical period were Corinth and Sparta. Under the Romans it was part of the province of Achaea from 146 bc to c. 4th century ad. It was part of the Byzantine Empire until it was taken by the Franks; they held it in the 13th—15th cen¬ turies, when it was often known as Morea. The modern city of Patras (pop., 2001: 163,446), in the north, is a commercial centre.
Peloponnesian League or Spartan Alliance Military coalition of Greek city-states led by Sparta, formed in the 6th century bc. League decisions about war, peace, or alliance were determined by congresses summoned by the Spartans. The league was a major force in Greek affairs, forming the core of resistance to the Persian invasions in 490 and 480 and fighting Athens in the Peloponnesian War. Its power declined after its defeat at Leuctra in 371, and the league disbanded in 366/365.
Peloponnesian War (431-404 bc) War fought between Athens and Sparta, the leading city-states of ancient Greece, along with their allies, which included nearly every other Greek city-state. Its principal cause was a fear of Athenian imperialism. The Athenian alliance relied on its strong navy, the Spartan alliance on its strong army. The war fell into two peri¬ ods, separated by a six-year truce. Fighting broke out in 431, with Peri¬ cles commanding the Athenians. In the first 10 years, Archidamus led the Spartans to defeats. Plague struck Athens in 429, killing Pericles and much of the army. In 428 Cleon almost convinced Athens to massacre the rebel¬ lious citizens of Mytilene on Lesbos, but Athens rescinded the order. In 421 both states agreed to accept the Peace of Nicias. This lasted six years, until Athens launched its disastrous Sicilian expedition. By 413 Athens’s forces were demolished. In 411 an oligarchy briefly took power. When democratic leaders were restored by the navy later that year, they refused Spartan peace offers, and the war continued until 405, when the Athenian navy was destroyed at the Battle of Aegospotami with Persian help. Under blockade, Athens surrendered in 404. Its empire was dismantled, and the Spartans installed the Thirty Tyrants.
Pelops Vpe-.laps, 'pe-,laps\ In Greek mythology, founder of the Pelopid dynasty at Mycenae. Pelops was a grandson of Zeus. His father, Tantalus, cooked and served Pelops to the gods at a banquet, and only Demeter, mourning the loss of her daughter, Persephone, was distracted enough to eat from the dish. The gods ordered the body restored, but the shoulder, Demeter’s portion, was missing, and the boy was given a replacement of ivory. In another story, Poseidon, helped Pelops gain the hand of Hippo- damia, daughter of King Oenomaus of Pisa.
pelota \p3-'lo-t9\ (Spanish: “little ball”) Any of several games in which players take turns, using a glove or implement, hitting a rubber ball either directly at one another or off a wall. The latter version is related to hand¬ ball and jai alai, which are played by two or four players on one-, two-, or three-walled courts using gloves, rackets, or bats. In Spain and elsewhere, pelota is a professional sport on which spectators wager.
Pelusium Xpo-'lii-she-omX Ancient Egyptian city. Located on what was once the easternmost mouth of the Nile River, its ruins lay southeast of modern Port Said. Beginning in the 26th dynasty (c. 7th century bc), it was the main frontier fortress facing Palestine and was a customs post for Asian goods. In 522 bc the Achaemenian Persians, under Cambyses II, defeated the pharaoh Psamtik III there. In Roman times it was a station on the trade route to the Red Sea; its ruins date from the Roman period.
pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) Acute inflammation of the pel¬ vic cavity in women, caused by bacterial infection (usually gonorrhea or CHLAMYDIA) of the REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM. Usually a SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE, it occurs mainly in sexually active women under age 25, more often in those using intrauterine devices (IUDs). PID can resemble gonorrhea, with abdominal and lower pelvic pain, chills, nausea, fever, and thick, foul-smelling vaginal discharge. Fallopian tube scarring can cause infer¬ tility and ectopic pregnancy. Treatment requires antibiotics, bed rest, pain
Pele.
AFP/PICTORIAL PARADE
Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis).
NORMAN TOMALIN—BRUCE COLEMAN INC.
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Pemex ► Pendleton Civil Service Act I 1467
medication, and sexual abstinence until the infection disappears. Sexual partners must also be treated to prevent reinfection.
Pemex officially Petroleos Mexicanos Mexico’s state-owned oil company. In 1938 Pres. Lazaro Cardenas nationalized 17 foreign oil com¬ panies to create Pemex, the largest Latin American petroleum company and a major world exporter of fossil fuel. Pemex engages in exploration, production, refining, transportation, storage, distribution, and sales of oil and natural gas. In the 1970s promising oil discoveries gave rise to a national spending spree, led by the flamboyant Pres. Jose Lopez Portillo and financed by massive borrowing. Crude-oil production tripled, but when the international price of oil collapsed in 1981, Lopez Portillo raised Mexican oil prices. The country was virtually bankrupt within one year. Economic reforms have since contributed to greater stability. At the turn of the 21st century, Pemex accounted for nearly 40% of the Mexican gov¬ ernment’s income.
pen drawing Artwork executed wholly or in part with pen and ink, usually on paper. It is fundamentally a linear method of making images. Artists who wish to suggest three-dimensional forms use hatching and cross-hatching or washes of colour laid onto the drawing with a brush. The three most common types of ink are black carbon ink, the finest type being Chinese ink or the modern India ink; brown ink, which was popu¬ lar with the Old Masters; and iron gall, a chemical ink. The three pen types are quill, reed, and metal. Quill pens were most popular for their flexibility and ability to be sharpened to extreme fineness. Steel became the predominant pen type by the 20th century.