Tiresias \tl-'re-se-9s\ In Greek mythology, a blind Theban seer. In Hom¬ er’s Odyssey he retained his prophetic gifts even in the underworld, where Odysseus was sent to consult him. His prophecy led to the tragedy of Oedipus. It was said that Tiresias lived for seven generations and that he was once turned into a woman for killing the female of two mating snakes; upon thereafter killing the male, he reverted to male. According to one legend, he was blinded by Hera for arguing, on the basis of his unique experience, that women derive greater pleasure from sex than men do; his gift of prophecy was a compensatory gesture from Zeus.
Tirol or Tyrol Ua-'rol, , t!-,rol\ State (pop., 2001: 673,504), western Aus¬ tria. Covering 4,883 sq mi (12,647 sq km), it consists of North Tirol and East Tirol, separated by the state of Salzburg and the Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige. Tirol is a mountainous area bordered by the Bavar¬ ian Alps and the Otztaler Alps. Its capital is Innsbruck. Tirol came under Roman control in the 1st century bc. In the Middle Ages it was ruled by various counts and bishops until it passed to the Habsburgs in 1363. It was the scene of revolts in 1525 during the Reformation, and again in 1809 against French and Bavarian rule. The southern Tirol was transferred to Italy in 1919. Renowned for its skiing, it attracts many tourists.
Tirpitz \'tir-p3ts\, Alfred von (b. March 19, 1849, Kiistrin, Prussia—d. March 6, 1930, Ebenhausen, near Munich, Ger.) German naval com¬ mander. The son of a Prussian civil servant, he enlisted in the Prussian Navy in 1865, attended the Kiel Naval School, and was commissioned in 1869. As commander of a torpedo-boat flotilla, he devised new tactical principles. Promoted to rear admiral, he commanded a cruiser squadron in East Asia (1896-97). In 1897 he became secretary of state of the impe¬ rial navy department and reorganized the German navy into a formidable high-seas fleet. Promoted to grand admiral (1911), he favoured unlimited submarine warfare in World War I, but opposition to his policy led to his resignation in 1916. In 1917 he cofounded the patriotic Fatherland Party.
Tirso de Molina Vtir-so-da-mo-'le-noV orig. Gabriel Tellez (b. March 9?, 1584, Madrid, Spain—d. March 12, 1648, Soria) Spanish play¬ wright. As a friar of the Mercedarian Order from 1601, he wrote its offi¬ cial history (1637). Inspired by Lope de Vega, he drew upon a wide range of sources and styles for his dramas. Tirso wrote a vast number of works, of which only about 80 have survived. His best-known play, the tragedy The Seducer of Seville (1630), introduced the legendary hero-villain Don Juan. Noted for portraying the psychological conflicts of his characters, he also wrote the tragedy The Doubted Damned (1635) and Antona Garcia (1635), which analyzed mob emotion. Though he also excelled in com¬ edy, he was the greatest Spanish tragedian of his time.
tirtha Vtir-t9\ In Hinduism, a holy river, mountain, or other place made sacred through association with a deity or saint. Such sites are often the destination of pilgrims and the venue for large religious festivals. A Hindu will make such a pilgrimage as an act of devotion, to carry out a vow, to appease a deity, or to seek prosperity. On reaching a tirtha, the pilgrim will usually bathe, circle the temple or shrine, make an offering, have his name recorded by the tirtha priests, and listen to evening music and reli¬ gious discourses.
Tirthankara Uir-'tsq-ks-rsX or Jina \'ji-ns\ In Jainism, a saviour who has succeeded in crossing over life’s stream of rebirths and has made a path for others to follow. Each cosmic age produces 24 Tirthankaras; the first are giants, but, as the age proceeds, they decrease in stature and appear after shorter intervals of time. Of the 24 Tirthankaras of the present age, each of whom is represented by a symbolic colour and emblem, only Parshvanatha and Mahavira are considered actual historical figures. The Tirthankaras are not worshiped as gods but rather honoured as exemplars. See also arhat; bodhisattva; samsara.
Tiryns Vtir-snz, 'tlr-9nz\ Ancient city, eastern Peloponnese, southern Greece. Inhabited from Neolithic times, it developed as an important Mycenaean centre in the Bronze Age, reaching its height c. 1400 bc. It declined as Argos grew in power after 1100 bc. The Argives destroyed it c. 468 bc. Ruins of its palace and massive walls date from the 15th—12th centuries bc. The term cyclopean masonry derives from the huge stones used in its construction, supposedly by the Cyclops for Proteus. The city is also connected with Perseus and Heracles.
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1914 I Tishtrya ► titanium
Tishtrya \'tish-tre-o\ Ancient Iranian god identified with the star Sirius. His principal myth involves a battle with a demonic star named Apausha over rainfall and water. As one of the stars that cause rain, Tishtrya was intimately connected with agriculture.
tissue culture Biological research method in which tissue fragments (a cell, a population of cells, or all or part of an organ) are sustained in an artificial environment for examination and manipulation of cell behaviour. It has been used to study normal and abnormal cell structure; biochemi¬ cal, genetic, and reproductive activity; metabolism, functions, and aging and healing processes; and reactions to physical, chemical, and biologi¬ cal agents (e.g., drugs, viruses). A tiny sample of the tissue is spread on or in a culture medium of biological (e.g., blood serum or tissue extract), synthetic, or mixed origin having the appropriate nutrients, temperature, and pH for the cells being incubated. The results are observed with a microscope, sometimes after treatment (e.g., staining) to highlight par¬ ticular features. Some viruses also grow in tissue cultures. Work with tis¬ sue cultures has helped identify infections, enzyme deficiencies, and chromosomal abnormalities; classify brain tumours; and formulate and test drugs and vaccines.
Tisza \'ti-sa\, Istvdn, Count (b. April 22, 1861, Budapest, Hung., Austrian Empire—d. Oct. 31, 1918, Budapest) Hungarian politician. He entered the Hungarian parliament in 1886 and joined his father, Tisza Kalman, as a leader of the Liberal Party. A defender of the Austro- Hungarian dualist system of government and of Hungary’s landed inter¬ ests, he served as prime minister (1903-05, 1913-17). He opposed voting franchise reform and resigned over the king’s 1917 decree for such reform. A supporter of the alliance with Germany in World War I, he was held responsible for his country’s suffering and was assassinated by Mag¬ yar leftists.
Tisza, Kalman (b. Dec. 16, 1830, Geszt, Hung., Austrian Empire—d. March 23, 1902, Budapest) Hungarian politician and premier (1875-90). A member of an old landowning family, he took part in the struggle for Hungarian national autonomy within the Austro-Hungarian system of dual government. After the Compromise of 1867 he formed a coalition of the nobility, business interests, and small landowners into the new Liberal Party (1875) and became prime minister. His social, political, economic, and legal reforms helped Hungary develop into a modern state. He resigned over interference from the Austrian emperor but continued as leader of the Liberal Party, with his son, Istvan Tisza.
Tisza River or Tisa \'ti-sa\ River River, western Ukraine, eastern Hungary, and northern Serbia and Montenegro. Rising in the Carpathian Mountains of western Ukraine, it flows west, forming a section of the Ukraine-Romania border, then continues southwest across Hungary and into Serbia and Montenegro to empty into the Danube River above Belgrade. It is 619 mi (996 km) long. The Tiszalok Dam (1954) forms the largest reservoir in Hungary. The Tisza is navigable for light-draft boats for about 450 mi (727 km).
tit Any of several woodland and garden songbird species in the genus Parus (family Paridae) having a rather stout, pointed bill. The great tit (P. major), found in Europe, North Africa, and Asia nearly to Java, is about 6 in. (14 cm) long. It has a white face, a black head, and a black center line on its underparts, which are yellow or bufify. The best-known North American species of crested tit is the tufted titmouse (P. bicolor ), a 7-in. (17-cm) bluish gray bird with pinkish brown flanks. See also CHICKADEE.