Romanticism Literary, artistic, and philosophical movement that began in Europe in the 18th century and lasted roughly until the mid- 19th century. In its intense focus on the individual consciousness, it was both a continu¬ ation of and a reaction against the Enlightenment. Romanticism emphasized the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental. Among its attitudes were a deepened appreciation of the beauties of nature; a general exaltation of emotion over reason and of the senses over intellect; a turning in upon the self and a heightened examination of human person¬ ality; a preoccupation with the genius, the hero, and the exceptional figure; a new view of the artist as a supremely individual creator; an emphasis on imagination as a gateway to transcendent experience and spiritual truth; a consuming interest in folk culture, national and ethnic cultural origins, and the medieval era; and a predilection for the exotic, the remote, the myste¬ rious, the weird, the occult, the monstrous, the diseased, and even the satanic. See also classicism and Transcendentalism.
Romanus I Lecapenus \ro-'ma-n9s... l le-k9- , pe-n3s\ (b. c. 872—d. 948) Byzantine emperor (920-944). He was admiral of the Byzantine fleet on the Danube before being chosen to share the throne with his son-in- law Constantine VII. He exercised all the real power of the imperial throne until 944. His reign was ended by his own sons, who compelled him to become a monk.
Romanus III Argyrus Var-jo-rosX (b. c. 968—d. April 11, 1034) Byz¬ antine emperor (1028-34). An undistinguished Byzantine patrician, he was compelled by the dying emperor Constantine VIII to marry his daugh¬ ter Zoe and become his successor. Romanus proved inept in military and financial matters, and his effort to repel Muslim invaders was unsuccess¬ ful (1030). He is believed to have been poisoned by his wife.
Romanus IV Diogenes \di-'a-j3-,nez\ (d. 1072) Byzantine emperor (1067-71). A member of the military aristocracy, he married the widow of the emperor Constantine X Ducas in 1067. He led military expeditions against the Seuuq Turks, who defeated and captured him at the Battle of Manzikert (1071). During his imprisonment Constantine’s son was crowned as Michael VII Ducas. On his release the new emperor blinded Romanus and exiled him to an island in the Sea of Marmara.
Romany Vro-mo-neX language Indo-Aryan language of the Roma (see Rom), spoken in many countries of the world, with its greatest con¬ centration of speakers in eastern Europe. Romany is believed to have separated from the northern Indian languages c. ad 1000. Its dialects, which include many loanwords from languages where the Roma have lived, are classified according to the languages that influenced them: Greek, Romanian, Hungarian, Czecho-Slovak, German, Polish, Russian, Finnish, Scandinavian, Italian, Serbo-Croatian, Welsh, and Spanish. Romany has no tradition of writing but a rich oral tradition. In the 20th century some collections of Romany poems and folktales were published in eastern Europe.
Romberg, Sigmund (b. July 29, 1887, Nagykanizsa, Austria- Hungary—d. Nov. 9, 1951, New York, N.Y., U.S.) Hungarian-born U.S. composer. Romberg studied engineering and composition in Vienna, becoming a skilled violinist and organist. In 1909 he went to New York City, where he conducted a restaurant orchestra and played piano in cafes. As staff composer for the impresario Jacob Shubert (see Shubert Brothers), Romberg prepared scores for about 40 musical shows. His first notable operetta, May time (1917), was followed in the 1920s by Blossom Time (1921), The Student Prince (1924), The Desert Song (1926), and The New Moon (1928). His last success was Up in Central Park (1945). In all he wrote almost 80 stage shows.
Rome Italian Roma City (pop., 2001 prelim: 2,459,776), capital of Italy. It is situated on the Tiber River in the central part of the country. The histori¬ cal site of Rome on its seven hills was occupied as early as the Bronze Age (c. 1500 bc), and the city was politically unified by the early 6th century bc. It became the capital of the Roman Empire (see Roman Republic and Empire). The Romans gradually conquered the Italian peninsula (see Etruscan), extended their dominion over the entire Mediterranean basin (see Punic Wars), and expanded their empire into continental Europe. Under Pompey the Great and Julius Caesar, Rome’s influence was extended over Syria, Jerusalem, Cyprus, and Gaul. After the Battle of Actium, all Roman lands were controlled by Octavian (Augustus), the first Roman emperor. As the imperial capital, Rome became the site of magnificent public buildings, including palaces, temples, public baths, theatres, and stadiums. It reached the peak of its grandeur and ancient population during the late 1 st and early
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Rome ► Rondon I 1639
2nd centuries ad. It remained the capital of the Roman Empire until Emperor Constantine the Great dedicated Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 330. By the end of the 6th century the protection of the city was in the hands of the Roman Catholic church (see Holy Roman Empire), which achieved absolute rule only in the 15th century. The city flourished during the Renais¬ sance and was the seat of the papacy and the Papal States. In 1870 it became the capital of a united Italy. It was transformed into a modem capital in the 1920s and ’30s and is Italy’s administrative, cultural, and transportation centre. See also Vatican City.
Rome, March on (October 1922) Insurrection that brought Benito Mus¬ solini to power in Italy. Social discontent gave Fascist Party leaders the opportunity to take control of the Italian government. Assisted by the armed squads known as Blackshirts, they planned to march on Rome and force King Victor Emmanuel III to call on Mussolini to form a government. Since the king was unwilling to use the Italian army to defend Rome, the government capitulated to the Fascists’ demands. The March on Rome turned into a parade to show the Fascist Party’s support for Mussolini as the new prime minister.
Rome, Treaties of Two international agreements signed in Rome in 1957 by Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. One established the European Economic Community; the other created the European Atomic Energy Community.
Rommel Vro-molV Erwin (Johannes Eugen) (b. Nov. 15, 1891, Heidenheim an der Brentz, Wiirttem- berg, Ger.—d. Oct. 14, 1944, Herr- lingen, near Ulm) German army commander in World War II. A teacher at military academies, he wrote the acclaimed textbook Infan¬ try Attacks (1937). He commanded a panzer division in the invasion of France (1940), then led his Afrika Korps troops in early successes against the Allies in the North Africa Campaign. He became known as the “Desert Fox” for his audacious sur¬ prise attacks, and he was promoted to field marshal. In 1942 he was ordered to attack Cairo and the Suez Canal, despite his request to with¬ draw his exhausted troops. After his defeat in the Battles of El Alamein and retreat into Tunisia, he returned to Germany and in 1944 was given command of the defense of the northwestern French coast. His tactical suggestions were ignored, and after the Allied Normandy Campaign began, he became convinced that the war could not be won. Implicated in the July Plot to kill Adolf Hitler, he was ordered to take poison so that Hitler could avoid a trial of the esteemed “people’s marshal.”
Romney, George (b. Dec. 15,
1734, Dalton-in-Fumess, Lanca¬ shire, Eng.—d. Nov. 15, 1802, Ken¬ dal, Westmorland) British portrait painter. Son of a Lancashire cabinet¬ maker, he began his career by tour¬ ing the northern counties, painting portraits for a few guineas each. In 1762 he established himself as a por¬ traitist in London and quickly won favour among society patrons. His success depended on the flattery of his likenesses; he avoided any sug¬ gestion of the sitter’s character or sensibilities. Infatuated with Emma Hart (later Lady Hamilton) c. 1781—