=Amnias.= A stream in Asia near which the army of Nicomedes, king of Bithynia, was defeated by the troops of Mithridates in 92 B.C. =Amorce= (_Fr._). An old military word for fine-grained powder, such as was sometimes used for the priming of great guns, mortars, or howitzers; as also for small-arms, on account of its rapid inflammation. A port-fire or quick-match. =Amorcer= (_Fr._). To prime; to decoy, to make a feint in order to deceive the enemy and draw him into a snare; to bait, lure, allure. =Amorcoir= (_Fr._). An instrument used to prime a musket; also for a small copper box in which were placed the percussion-caps. =Amoy.= A town and port in China, which was taken by the troops under Sir Hugh Gough, assisted by a naval force, in August, 1841. =Ampfing.= A village in Bavaria, where Louis, king of Bavaria, defeated Frederick of Austria in 1322; here Gen. Moreau was attacked by a superior force of Austrians in 1800, and accomplished his celebrated retreat. =Amphea.= A city of Messenia, captured by the Lacedæmonians in 743 B.C. =Amphec.= A city in Palestine where the Philistines defeated the Israelites in the year 1100 B.C. =Amphictyonic Council.= A celebrated congress of deputies of twelve confederated tribes of ancient Greece, which met twice every year. The objects of this council were to insure mutual protection and forbearance among the tribes, and for the protection of the temple of Delphi. =Amphipolis= (now _Emboli_). A city situated on the Strymon in Macedonia; was besieged in 422 B.C., by the Athenians, where Cleon their chief was killed. Philip of Macedon captured the city in 363. =Amplitude.= In gunnery, is the range of shot, or the horizontal right line, which measures the distance which it has run. =Ampoulette= (_Fr._). A wooden cylinder which contains the fuze of hollow projectiles. =Amsterdam.= The capital of Holland. It was occupied by the French general Pichegru on January 19, 1795, and by the Prussians in 1813. =Amstetten.= A village on the highway between Ems and Vienna, where the Russians were defeated by the French under Murat, November 5, 1805. =Amusette= (_Fr._). A brass gun, of 5 feet, carrying a half-pound leaden ball, loaded at the breech; invented by the celebrated Marshal Saxe. It is no longer used. =Amyclæ.= An ancient town of Laconia, on the right bank of the Eurotas, famous as one of the most celebrated cities of the Peloponnesus in the heroic age. It is said to have been the abode of Castor and Pollux. This town was conquered by the Spartans about 775 B.C. =Anabash.= In antiquity, were expeditious couriers, who carried dispatches of great importance in the Roman wars. =Anacara.= A sort of drum used by the Oriental cavalry. =Anacleticum.= In the ancient art of war, a particular blast of the trumpet, whereby the fearful and flying soldiers were rallied to the combat.