BACCHUS                                                                  153                                                                  BACILLUS

rose on its ruins as a conquering empire. Nebuchadrezzar, its greatest king, reigned forty-three years (604-561 B. C), reconquered provinces, rebuilt temples and palaces, and made Babylon once more queen of nations. Among other conquests he captured Jerusalem, carrying its king, Jehoiachim, captive to Babylon, and eleven years later destroyed the Jews' capital and removed most of the people to Chaldća. The last notable king was a usurper, Nabu-naid, who drove out Nebuchadrezzar's grandson, and who left almost as many inscriptions on bricks, cylinders or tablets as the great Nebuchadrezzar himself. The whole land revolted against him because he neglected the duties of government and religion, leaving everything to his son, Bel-shazzar. This made the country an easy prey for the Persian conqueror Cyrus, who captured Babylon in 538 B. C. It was afterward ruled by Alexander, by the Syrians, Parthians, Romans, the caliphs of Baghdad and several dynasties of the Persians and the Turks.

Bacchus (b&k'kus), one of the names among the Greeks, and the usual name among the Romans, for Dionysus, the god of wine. In Italy, he was connected with the god Liber. He was the son of Jupiter, and was brought up by the nymphs at Nysa in India. Many stories are told of his adventures. He flayed Damascus alive, who opposed him in Syria; made Lycurgus, king of the Edones, mad, so that he killed his own son, and when he became sane, caused him to be torn in pieces by horses; he also overcame the Amazons. Bacchus taught men to cultivate the vine and to make wine. He collected bands of worshipers, mainly women, and, surrounded by them, seated in a chariot drawn by panthers or leopards, passed through many countries. He was represented in some works of art as an infant, but generally by the Greeks as a beautiful boy, while in the east he was pictured as a man of middle age, clothed in long robes. Festivals in his honor were first held in Thrace, but the most famous were at Athens and were four in number; the country festival in December, when the vintage was just over; the wine-press festival in January, when the wine was just made and the presses cleaned; the flower festival in February, lasting three days; and the great festival in March, when the city was filled with strangers from all Greece. In these festivals, banquets, processions and plays composed the program, and they were scenes of riotous merriment and drunkenness. In Rome the Bacchanalia, as it was called, was celebrated every third year; but it became so immoral and dangerous that the consuls in 186 B. C. forbade its observance. After this, the Liberalia were celebrated yearly on the 16th of March, on which day the young men

began to wear the toga virilis, the badge of manhood.

Bach (buk), Johann Sebastian, one of

the greatest musicians of the world, was born at Eisenach, Germany, in March, 1685. He belonged to a distinguished musical family, and at Erfurt, where a branch of the family lived for many years, the town musicians were called Bachs, even when no member of the family was connected with them. Losing his father before he was ten years old, his older brother undertook his musical education, but found it hard to keep his genius in check. He tried to hide from him a manuscript volume of organ pieces, but Sebastian managed to get hold of it and worked for six months copying it by the light of the moon, for fear of being found out; but was discovered and his copy taken from him. At fifteen he entered the choir of St. Michael's school at Lüneburg. Here he remained as a violinist after losing his beautiful voice. In 1703 he was given a court appointment at Weimar, and in 1704 became organist at Arnstadt, where he composed many of his church cantatas. During the nine years spent as court organist at Weimar, he studied Italian music and did some composing. Some years followed at the court of Prince Leopold, where he wrote the first half of the collection known as Forty-eight Preludes and Fugues. His next appointment was at Leipsic, where all his greatest works for chorus were written. In 1747 he paid a visit to Frederick the Great at Potsdam, who received him with great honor. On a theme proposed by the king, Bach composed his Musical Offering, which, with his ^4rt of Fugue, is a work of wonderful ingenuity and learning. An operation on his eyes resulted in total blindness. He died July 28, 1750. Piano-players owe to Bach the method of tuning, by which they can play in all keys, and also the mode of fingering which brings all the fingers into use.

Bache (bāch), Alexander Dallas, a noted American scientist. He was a great-grandson of Benjamin Franklin, and was born at Philadelphia in 1806. He graduated with high honors at West Point, where he was made an instructor. He was professor of natural philosophy and chemistry in the University of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, and later president of Girard College at the same place. He organized a system of free schools in Philadelphia. He was superintendent of the United States coast survey and regent of the Smithsonian institution. He was prominent in scientific circles, and was connected with many scientific societies in both hemispheres. He died at Newport, Rhode Island, February 17, 1867.

Bacil'lus (bă-sWlŭs), a genus of the plants known as Bacteria, and distinguished from the other forms by consisting of rather elongated rod-shaped cells. See Bacteria.