and in his most ambitious work, an altarpiece for San Francesco at San- sepolcro (1437-44). His fusion of traditional and contemporary elements transformed Sienese painting from the Gothic to the Renaissance style, and he is considered one of the greatest Sienese painters of the 15th cen¬ tury.
SAT in full Scholastic Aptitude Test Standardized test taken by U.S. high school students applying to colleges. It is divided into two principal sections, verbal and mathematical. Promulgated largely through the efforts of James B. Conant as a means of promoting merit-based (rather than class-based) college admissions, it was administered to few students before the end of World War II but by the end of the 20th century was taken by millions each year. Scores declined as the test came to be more widely administered, and in 1995 the score of 500 for each section (mid¬ way between the extremes of 200 and 800) was reestablished as the actual mean score of those tested. The test, which most colleges use as one mea¬ sure of an applicant’s ability, has been denounced as biased in favour of men and the white middle class. Other critics claim that the SAT is inad¬ equate for testing various important capacities.
satanism Worship of Satan, or the devil, the personality or principle regarded in the Judeo-Christian tradition as embodying absolute evil, in complete antithesis to God. Cults associated with satanism have been documented, however sketchily, back to the 17th century. Their central feature is the black mass, a corrupted and inverted rendition of the Chris¬ tian Eucharist. Practices are said to include animal sacrifice and deviant sexual activity. Worship is motivated by the belief that Satan is more powerful than the forces of good, and so is more capable of bringing about the results sought by his adherents.
satellite Natural object (moon) or spacecraft (artificial satellite) orbiting a larger astronomical body. Most known natural satellites orbit planets; the Earth’s Moon is the most obvious example and was the only one known until the discovery of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter in 1610. All the solar system’s planets except Mercury and Venus have moons, which vary greatly in size, composition (from rock to mostly ice), and activity (from cold and inert to volcanic). Some asteroids are also known to have their own moons. The first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched into orbit around Earth in 1957. Since then, thousands have been sent into orbit around Earth as well as the Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and other bod¬ ies. Artificial satellites are used for scientific research and other purposes, such as communication (see communications satellite), weather forecast¬ ing, Earth resources management, and military intelligence. See also Land- sat.
satellite, communications See communications satellite sati See suttee
Satie \sa-'te\, Erik orig. Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (b. May 17, 1866, Honfleur, Calvados, France—d. July 1, 1925, Paris) French composer. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire (1879-82) but dropped out. From 1888 he played piano at the cafe Le Chat Noir; he became associated with the Rosicrucian movement in about 1890 and wrote several works under its influence. Living in austere poverty in a working-class district, he began to gain prominence in 1911, when he was lauded as a forerunner of mod¬ em music; his admirers included Claude Debussy, Jean Cocteau, and the group of composers known as Les Six. Satie’s music represents the first definite break with 19th-century French Romanticism; it also stands in opposition to Impressionism (a movement he frequently mocked). His mostly short piano works are spare and unconventional, and they char¬ acteristically take the form of parody, with flippant titles such as Three Pieces in the Form of a Pear (1903).
satin Fabric constructed by the satin weaving method, one of the three basic textile weaves. Satin weave superficially resembles twill but does not have the regular step in each successive weft that characterizes twills. Thus, there is no strong diagonal line, and the fabric is smooth-faced, with an unbroken surface made up of long floating warp yams. Because satins are susceptible to the wear caused by rubbing and snagging, they are con¬ sidered luxury fabrics. Satin is made in different weights for various uses, including dresses (particularly evening wear), linings, bedspreads, and upholstery. Though originally of silk, it may be made of yams of other fibres.
satire Artistic form in which human or individual vices, folly, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony, or other methods, sometimes with an intent to bring
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Satnami sect ► Sa'ud I 1689
about improvement. Literature and drama are its chief vehicles, but it is also found in such mediums as film, the visual arts (e.g., caricatures), and political cartoons. Though present in Greek literature, notably in the works of Aristophanes, satire generally follows the example of either of two Romans, Horace or Juvenal. To Horace the satirist is an urbane man of the world who sees folly everywhere but is moved to gentle laughter rather than to rage. Juvenal’s satirist is an upright man who is horrified and angered by corruption. Their different perspectives produced the sub¬ genres of satire identified by John Dryden as comic satire and tragic sat¬ ire.
Satnami sect \,s3t-'na-me\ Religious community in India that chal¬ lenges political and religious authority by worshiping the supreme god Satnam. Combining practices from Islam and Hinduism, Satnamis typically reject both the worship of images and the caste system, while retaining an underlying orthodox Vedanta philosophy. Modern Satnamis are con¬ fined almost entirely to the low-status Camar caste, and they advocate social equality as well as ethical and dietary self-restraint.
Sato \'sa-to\, Eisaku (b. March 1, 1901, Tabuse, Yamaguchi prefec¬ ture, Japan—d. June 3, 1975, Tokyo) Prime minister of Japan (1964-72) who presided over Japan’s post-World War II reemergence as a major world power. For his policies on nuclear weapons, which led to Japan signing the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, he shared the 1974 Nobel Prize for Peace. As prime minister Sato improved relations with other Asian countries and oversaw the return of the Ryukyu Islands from U.S. to Japanese jurisdiction.
satrap Provincial governor in the Achaemenian empire. Darius I (r. 522- 486 bc) established 20 satrapies with an annual tribute. Appointed by the king, satraps were usually of the royal family or Persian nobility and held office indefinitely. They collected taxes, were the highest judicial author¬ ity, and were responsible for internal security and for raising and main¬ taining an army. Controls guarded against the abuse of power, but after the mid 5th century bc, with central authority weakened, satrapies became virtually independent. Alexander the Great and his successors retained the satraps.
Satsuma \'sat-su-,ma\ Japanese feudal domain ( han ) in southern Kyushu noted for its role in Japan’s modernization. Satsuma (part of modern-day Kagoshima prefecture) was ruled by the Shimazu family from the end of the 12th century to the AAeiji Restoration in 1868. In 1609 the family had conquered the Ryukyu Islands, and trade with the Ryukyus continued during the Tokugawa period, when the rest of the country was forbidden contact with the outside world. This trade both enriched Sat¬ suma and provided experience with foreign affairs that would prove use¬ ful in the 19th century when Western powers started pressuring Japan to end its isolation. The domain also developed expertise in Western learn¬ ing: Shimazu Shigehide (1745-1833) founded schools of medicine, math¬ ematics, and astronomy; Shimazu Nariakira (1809-58) adopted Western- style military techniques and armaments. These advantages, along with a traditional enmity toward the Tokugawa family, put the men of Satsuma in a prime position to become leaders in the movement to overthrow the shogunal government. See also Okubo Toshimichi; Saigo Takamori.