Chapter Alcides to Alexander the Great of A by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Alea, a warrior who invented dice at the siege of Troy; at least so Isidore of Seville says. Suidas ascribes the invention to Palamedês.

Alea est ludus tabulæ inventa a Græcis, in otio Trojani belli, a quodam milite, nomine ALEA, a quo et ars nomen accepit.—Isidorus: Origînum, etc., xviii. 57.

Alectoria, a stone extracted from a capon. It is said to render the wearer invisible, to allay thirst, to antidote enchantment, and ensure love.—Mirror of Stones.

Alectryon, a youth set by Mars to guard against surprises; but he fell asleep, and Apollo surprised Mars and Venus in each other’s embrace. Mars in anger changed Alectryon into a cock.

And from out the neighbouring farmyard
Loud the cock Alectryon crowed.
   —Longfellow: Pegasus in Pound.

Aleria, one of the Amazons, and the best beloved of the ten wives of Guido the Savage.—Ariosto: Orlando Furioso (1516).

Alessio, the young man with whom Lisa was livin g in concubinage, when Elvino promised to marry her. Elvino made the promise out of pique, because he thought Amina was not faithful to him; but when he discovered his error he returned to his first love, and left Lisa to marry Alessio, with whom she had been previously cohabiting.—Bellini’s opera, La Sonnambula (1831).

Alethes , an ambassador from Egypt to king Aladine ; subtle, false, deceitful, and full of wiles.—Tasso: Jerusalem Delivered (1575).

Alexander the Corrector, Alexander Cruden (1701–1770), author of the Concordance. (See Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, p. 30.)

Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia (B.C. 356, 336–323).

(His life has been written by Quintus Curtius, in ten books (Latin), about A.D. 80; by Julius Valerius (Latin); by Lesfarguus, in 1639; Gaudenzio, in 1645; by Lehmann, in 1667; by Fessler, in 1797; by Mueller, in 1830; by archdeacon Williams, in 1830; by Droysen, in 1833; by Pfizer, in 1845.)

Alexander’s chief Battles. Arbela, in 331; Issus, 333; Granicus in 334, all against Darius the Persian.

Alexander’s Beard. A smooth chin, or very small beard. Alexander had no perceptible beard, and hence is said to have had “an Amazonian chin.”

Disguised with Alexander’s beard.
   —Gascoyne: The Steele Glas (died 1577).

City founded by Alexander. Alexandria in Egypt, about B.C. 322.

Deformity of Alexander. One shoulder was higher than the other.

Ammon’s great son one shoulder had too high.
   —Pope: Prologue to his Satires, 117.

Father of Alexander. His mother’s husband was Philip king of Macedon; but Alexander himself claimed the god Ammon for his father.

Alexander’s favourite Horse. Bucephalos (q.v.).

Mother of Alexander. Olympias, daughter of Neoptolêmos king of Epiros.

Alexander’s Runner. Ladas. This was the name of Lord Rosebery’s horse in the famous race of 1894.