Ptolemy. c140. Alexandrian. First cartographer. Promoted Hipparchus’ geocentric theory of solar system. Copernicus. Columbus studied his Geography.

Ptolemy I Suter. c366-283BC. Ruled Egypt 323-; king 305-. General of Alexander the Great.

Ptolemy II. 308-246BC. Egyptian king 285-. Made Alexandria a cultural center. Built Pharos.

Ptolemy XV. Caesarion. 47-30BC. Egyptian king 44-. Son of Caesar and Cleopatra. Killed by Octavian.

Purcell, Henry. 1658-1695. English chorale composer. First English opera. Dido and Aeneas 1689. King Arthur 1691. Fairy Queen 1692.

Pure Land Buddhism. 4C China, Japan. Followers of Buddha saviour Amitabha (Amida, O-mi-t’o). Paradise for invoking his name.

Puritanism. 16-17C. English Calvinist movement to purify church of Catholic and political elements. Valued hard work, education, thrift.

Pushkin, Aleksandr. 1799-1837. Russian Romantic writer. Russia’s “Shakespeare”: Boris Gudonov 1825. Eugene Onegin 1823/4. Exiled 1821~6.

Pyramus and Thisbe. Legendary Babylonian lovers of Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

Pyrrhus. 319-272BC. King of Epirus. Defeated Romans at Heraclea and Ausculum at great cost (Pyrrhic Victory). Memoirs.

Pythagoras. c582-500BC. Greek philosopher: numbers are key to understanding the universe. Founded first school of higher learning at Crotona, Italy.

Pytheas. c300BC. Greek. Voyaged to Britain, Iceland.

Pythian Games. -4C. Musical and athletic contests at Delphi.

Quadrille. 18C French dance introduced to England 1818.

Quebec Conference. 1864. Basis of British North America Act. 1943. Allied leaders plan European landings. 1944. Churchill, Roosevelt decide on two war fronts-criticized for allowing Soviets to take Berlin.

Quiberon Bay, Battle. 1759. British defeat French navy preventing French invasion of Scotland.

Rabelais, François. c1483-1553. French satirical writer and humanist. Pantagruel 1532.Gargantua 1534.

Racine, Jean. 1639-99. Classical French tragedy playwright. Molière’s rival. Andromaque 1667. Britannicus 1669. Phèdre 1677.

Radek, Karl. 1885-1939. Russian. COMINTERN leader, propagandist. Purged.

Radishchev, Aleksandr. 1749-1802. Liberal Russian writer. Denounced serfdom. Exiled to Siberia.

Radisson and Groseilliers. Huguenot explorers of Minnesota, 1658-9.

Radom, Confederation of. 1767. Polish nobles oppose king’s reforms leading to Partition.

Railways. 1795 England(horse-drawn). 1827 First US charter. 1827 Europe (St. Etienne-Andrézieux). 1869 US Central/Union Pacific. 1887 Canadian Pacific 1905 Trans-Siberian.

Ramathibodi I. 1312-69. Unified Siam. Founded Ayutthaya dynasty 1350-1767.

Ramiro I. First King of Aragon 1035-63. Took lands from brother and Moors.

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