=Aquitaine.= A province in the southwest of France; conquered by the Romans in 28 B.C.; by the Visigoths, 418; taken from them by Clovis in 507. Henry II. of England obtained it with his wife Eleanor, 1152. It was erected into a principality for Edward the Black Prince in 1362; but was annexed to France in 1370. The title of duke of Aquitaine was taken by the crown of England on the conquest of this duchy by Henry V. in 1418. The province was lost in the reign of Henry VI. =Arabia.= A tract of land in Western Asia; the terms _Petræa_ (stony), _Felix_ (happy), and _Deserta_ are said to have been applied to its divisions by Ptolemy, about 140. Arabia was unsuccessfully invaded by Gallus, the Roman governor of Egypt, 24 B.C. In 622, the Arabians under the name of Saracens (which see), followers of Mohammed, their general and prophet, commenced their course of conquest. The Arabs greatly favored literature and the sciences, especially mathematics, astronomy, and chemistry. To them we owe our ordinary (_Arabic_) numerals and arithmetical notation. =Aracillum.= A city in Spain. The Cantabrians being besieged in this city by the Romans, killed each other rather than surrender. =Aradus= (now _Ruad_). A city of Phœnicia; captured by the Roman general Ventidius, 38 B.C. =Aragon.= Part of the Roman Tarraconensis, a kingdom, Northeast Spain, was conquered by the Carthaginians, who were expelled by the Romans about 200 B.C. It became an independent monarchy in 1035. =Aranjuez= (Central Spain). Contains a fine royal palace, at which several important treaties were concluded. On March 17, 1808, an insurrection broke out here against Charles IV. and his favorite, Godoy, the Prince of Peace. The former was compelled to abdicate in favor of his son, Ferdinand VII., March 19. =Aransas.= A small river of Texas, which empties into a bay of the same name, immediately north of Corpus Christi Bay. The Confederate works near this place were captured by the Federal troops November 20, 1864. =Arapahoe Indians.= A tribe of Indians associated with the Cheyennes, who inhabit the country between the South Fork of the Platte River and the head-waters of the Arkansas. See INDIANS AND THEIR AGENCIES. =Arapiles.= A village of Spain, 4 miles southeast of Salamanca. It was the scene of the sanguinary engagement called the battle of Salamanca, in which the allies under Wellington defeated the French under Marmont, July 22, 1812. =Arausio= (now _Orange_, Southeast France). Through jealousy of the Roman proconsul Q. Servilius Cæpio, who would not wait for the arrival of the army of the consul C. Manlius, both were here defeated by the Cimbri with much slaughter, 105 B.C. =Arbalest.= In the ancient art of war, a cross-bow made of steel, set in a shaft of wood, with a string and trigger, bent with a piece of iron fitted for that purpose, and used to throw bullets, large arrows, darts, etc.