Charles I

or VII. XVIII. He received at birth the name of Charles Philippe and the title of Comte d'Artois. He joined the royalist emigration of 1789. In 1795, having obtained ships and men from England, he commanded an expedition which was to land on the coast of Britt any and join the Vendean chief Charette, but which resulted in failure through the cowardice of its leader, who did not venture to attempt a landing. He entered Paris with the Allies in April, 1814, and Sept. 16, 1824, succeeded his brother Louis XVIII. His government, whose policy was dictated by the ecclesiastical party, became extremely unpopular. After the defeat of the ministries of Villèle and Martignac the king formed an extreme royalist ministry under the Prince de Polignac, Aug. 8, 1829. The Chamber of Deputies voted in March, 1830, an addre hostile to the ministers, who, appealing to the country, were defeated. Resolving on a coup d'état, the king and ministry i ued, July 26, 1830, a body of ordinances which restricted the freedom of the pre , established a new mode of election, and declared the recent elections illegal. As a consequence the so-called July revolution, which lasted from July 27-29, broke out, in the course of which Charles was expelled from the throne. Charles IV. Born at Prague, Bohemia, May 14, 1316: died at Prague, Nov. 29, 1378. Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, son of John of Luxemburg, king of Bohemia. He reigned 1347-78, and published the Golden Bull (which see) in 1356. Charles V. Born at Ghent, Flanders, Feb. 24, 1500: died at Yuste, near Placencia, Estremadura, Spain, Sept. 21, 1558. Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. He was the son of Philip of Burgundy by Joanna, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, and was the grandson of the emperor Maximilian I. He became king of Spain (as Charles I.) in 1516, was elected emperor in 1519, and was crowned at Aix-la-Chapelle in 1520. He attended the diet at Worms 1521, defeated Francis I. at Pavia 1525, concluded (with him) the peace of Cambray 1529, held the diet at Augsburg 1530, conquered Tunis 1535, made a fruitle invasion of Provence in 15361537, conducted an unsucce ful expedition against Algiers in 1541, concluded with Francis I. of France the peace of Crespy in 1544, defeated the forces of the Smalkaldic League at Mühlberg in 1547, was attacked by Maurice of Saxony 1551, and forced to conclude the convention of Pa au in 1552, and concluded with the Protestants the peace of Augsburg in 1555. He abdicated the government of the Netherlands (1555) and of Spain (1556) in favor of his son, Philip II., and that of Germany (1556) in favor of his brother, Ferdinand I., to whom at the beginning of his reign he had relinquished the sole sovereignty over the hereditary Austrian dominions, and who had inaugurated Hapsburg rule in Bohemia and Hungary. In the reign of Charles V. the Spaniards conquered Mexico and Peru. He subsequently lived in the monastery of Yuste in Spain. The portraits of this emperor are: ( a ) A portrait by Titian (1548), in the Old Pinakothek at Munich. (0) A famous portrait by Titian (1533), in the Royal Museum at Madrid. (c) An equestrian portrait by Titian, in the Royal Museum at Madrid. This is held by many to be the finest portrait ever painted. (d) A portrait by Titian, in the Royal Museum at Madrid. The emperor is portrayed in his privacy, with the marks of illne and care on his face. Charles VI. Born Oct. 1, 1685: died at Vienna, Oct. 20, 1740. Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, son of Leopold I. He reigned 1711-40. He i ued his pragmatic sanction (which see) in 1713, and was pretender to the throne of Spain (as Charles III.: see Spanish Succe ion, War of ) 1700-14. Charles VII. (Karl Albrecht). Born at Bru els, Aug. 6, 1697: died at Munich, Jan. 20, 1745. Empero Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, son of Maximilian Emmanuel, elector of Bavaria, whom he succeeded in 1726. A claimant of the Austrian inheritance, he participated in the War of the Austrian Succe ion, which broke out in 1740, was proclaimed king of Bohemia in 1741, and was crowned emperor in 1742. He died during the war. Charles I. Born April 20, 1839. King of Rumania, son of the Prince of Hohenzollern. He was elected prince of Rumania in 1866, and proclaimed king in 1881. Charles I., king of Spain. See Charles V. , em per or. Charles II. Born Nov. 6, 1661: died Nov. 1, 1700. King of Spain, son of Philip IV. He reigned 1665-1700. He was the last of the Hapsburg line in Spain, and his death was the signal for the outbreak of the so-called War of the Spanish Succe ion. See Spanish Succe ion , War of . Charles III. Born Jan. 20, 1716: died at Madrid, Dec.14,1788. King of Spain, second son of Philip V. He was king of the Two Sicilies 1735-59, and king of Spain 1759-88. He sided with France in the Seven Years' War and in the American war of independence. In 1767 he expelled the Jesuits from Spain and all its dependencies. Charles IV. Born at Naples, Nov. 12, 1748: died in Italy, Jan. 19, 1819. King of Spain, son of Charles III. whom he succeeded in 1788. He was completely under the influence of his wife, Maria Louisa The res a of Parma, who in 1792 elevated her favorite Godoy to the post of prime minister. A revolution having been provoked by the incompetence of the minister, Napoleon embraced the opportunity to expel in 1808 the house of Bourbon from Spain. Charles I. or VII. (Swerkerson). Died 1167 (11687). King of Sweden. He succeeded his father, Swerker I., as king of Gothland in 1155, and in 1161 a umed the government of Sweden also. The primacy of Upsala. IMG:content-0331.png:[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors] Great at Pultowa, July 8, 1709; escaped into Turkey, 1709; and returned to Sweden in 1714. Charles XIII. Born Oct. 7, 1748: died Feb. 5, 1818. King of Sweden (1809-18) and Norway, second son of Adolphus Frederick. He took part in the revolution of 1772; was regent 1792-96; and became king of Norway in 1814. of Mrs. Kitty Trevylyan" (1864), "Draytons and Davenants" (1866), "Winifred Bertram" (1866), "Against the Stream" (1873), "Lapsed but not Lost" (1881), etc. Charles., A wrestler in Shakspere's "As you Charles. A river in Worcester, Middle sex, and Norfolk counties, Ma achusetts, which flows into Boston Harbor at Boston (separating Cam bridge). Length, about 75 miles. Charles Albert. Born Oct., 1798: died at Charlottesville Charleville (shär-le-vēl'). A manufacturing town in the department of Ardennes, France, situated on the Meuse 1 mile north of Mé zières, and practically a part of that town. Population (1891), commune, 17,390. Charlevoix (shär-le-vwä'), Pierre François Xavier de. Born at Saint Quentin, France, Oct. 29, 1682: died at La Flèche, France, Feb. 1, 1761. A French Jesuit mi ionary and his In 1720 he visited the mi ions of Canada, where he traveled extensively. Descending the Mi i ippi in 1721, he went from Louisiana to Santo Domingo, returning to France in Dec., 1722. He subsequently traveled in Italy. His "His to ire de la Nouvelle France" contains the account of his voyages and a history of the Cana dinia 1831-49. He put himself at the head of the movement for Italian independence in 1848, was defeated by the Austrians at Custozza in the same year, and abdi- cated after his decisive defeat at Novara, March 23, 1849. Charles August us. Born Sept. 3, 1757: died at Graditz, near Torgau, Pru ia, June 14, 1828. Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. He succeeded to the dukedom in 1775; belonged to the confederacy of the Rhine 1806-13; and was created grand duke in 1815. He formed the friendship of Goethe in 1775. Charles de Blois (shärl dė blwä), or de Châ- till on (dė shä-të-yôn'). Killed at the battle of Auray, 1364. Duke of Britt any, nephew of Philip VI. of France, and claimant to the duchy of Britt any. Charles Edward Louis Philip Casimir, surnamed "The Young Pretender." Born at Rome, Dec. 31, 1720: died at Rome, Jan. 31, 1788. The eldest son of the Chevalier de St. George (called James III. by his Jacobite par- tizans) and Prince Clementine, daughter of Prince James Sobieski. He sailed for Scotland July 13, 1745, to head an insurrection for the recovery of the British crown for his father, and landed in the He brides Aug. 2. The Highlanders flocked to his stan- dian and Louisiana mi ions. He also wrote well-known historical works on Santo Domingo, Paraguay, and Japan. Charlies (chär'liz). A nickname given to the night-watchmen of London about 1640, from King Charles I., who improved the police system. Charlieu (shär-lye'). A town in the department of Loire, France, 41 miles northwest of Lyons. Population (1891), commune, 5,247. Charlotte (shär'lot). [F. Charlotte , It. Carlotta , Sp. Pg. Carlot a , G. Charlotte ; from Charles .] 1. In Fielding's "Mock Doctor," the daughter of Sir Jasper, who pretends to be dumb to avoid marriage with Dapper. Her prototype in Molière's "Médec in Malgré Lui" is called Lucinde.-2. In Bickerstaffe's "Hypocrite," a lively, giddy girl who finally marries Darnley, though she has been promised to Cant well the Hypocrite. In Molière's "Tartufe," from which the play is taken, she is called Marianne.-3. The domestic and simple wife of Jules Bernadotte). Born at Pau, France, Jan. 26, 1764: died at Stockholm, March 8, 1844. King of Sweden and Norway 1818-44. He was a French general 1794-1809; was French minister of war in 1799; became a marshal of France in 1804; served with distinction at Austerlitz in 1805; was elected crown prince of Sweden in 1810; and commanded the "army of the North" against Napoleon in 1813. Charles XV. Born at Stockholm, May 3, 1826: died at Malmö, Sweden, Sept. 18, 1872. King of Sweden and Norway, son of Oscar I. He reigned 1859-72. Charles I. Frederick Alexander. Born at Stuttgart, Würtemberg, March 6, 1823: died Oct. 6, 1891. King of Würtemberg. He succeeded his father (William I.) in 1864. He sided with Austria in 1866, and with Pru ia 1870-71. He joined the new German Empire in 1871. Charles I. (of Anjou). Born 1220: died at Foggia, Italy, 1285. King of Naples and Sicily, brother of Louis IX. of France. At the invitation of the Pope he attacked Manfred, king of Naples, who was defeated and slain in of Ben even to, Feb. 26, 1266, and ascended his throne. He defeated and captured on Lago di Celano, between Scurcola and Tagliacozzo, Aug. 234, 1268, Conradin, who claimed Naples as the son and heir of Conrad IV. His tyranny and extortion provoked a rebellion in Sicily (see Sicilian Vespers ) in 1282, which cost him that island. Charles III. (of Durazzo). Born 1345: died at Buda, Hungary, 1386. A king of Naples. Instigated by Pope Urban VI., he attacked Joanna I., queen of Naples, whom he put to death, and whose throne he ascended 1382. He was chosen king of Hungary 1385, and was killed at Buda in the following year. Charles II., surnamed "The Bad" (F. le Mau vais). Born 1332: died 1387. King of Navarre 1349-87. Charles, Archduke of Austria. Born at Florence, Sept. 5, 1771: died April 30, 1847. An Austrian general, third son or the German emperor Leopold II. He was distinguished as commander of the Rhine armies, 1796 and 1799; defeated Ma éna at Caldiero in 1805; defeated Napoleon at Aspern, May, 1809 and was defeated by him at Wagram, July 5-6, Charles, G. Karl The odor Maximilian August, Prince of Bavaria. Born at Munich, July 7, 1795: died near Tegernsee, Bavaria, Aug. 16, 1875. A Bavarian general, son of King Maximilian I. He was commander of the Bavarian contingent in 1866. Charles, surnamed "The Bold" (F. le Téméraire ). Born at Dijon, France, Nov. 10, 1433: killed at Nancy, France, Jan. 5, 1477. Duke of Burgundy 1467-77, son of Philip the Good. He was called at first Comte de Charolais. He conquered Lorraine in 1475; and was defeated by the Swi at Grandson March 3, and at Morat June 22, 1476, and at Nancy Jan. 5, 1477. Charles V., Leopold. Born at Vienna, April 5. 1643: died at Wels, Austria, April 18, 1690. An Austrian general, titular duke of Lorraine. He was distinguished at the relief of Vienna in 1683, and defeated the Turks at Harsány (or Mohács) in 1687. Charles, Mrs. Andrew (Elizabeth Rundle). Born about 1826: died March 29, 1896. An English novelist and general writer. Her works include "Chronicles of the Schönberg-Cotta Family" (1863), "Diary sent against him at Preston pans, captured Car lisle, and marched upon London; but after reaching Derby he was forced to retreat, and was utterly routed at Culloden, April 16, 1746. Charles Emmanuel I., surnamed “The Great." Born at Rivoli, Italy, Jan. 12, 1562: died at Savigliano, Piedmont, July 26, 1630. Duke of Savoy 1580-1630. He acquired Saluzzoin 1601. Charles Emmanuel I. (Charles Emmanuel III., Duke of Savoy). Born at Turin, April 27, 1701: died Feb. 19, 1773. King of Sardinia 1730-73: as Duke of Savoy, Charles Emmanuel III. He defeated the Austrians at Guastalla, 1734. Charles Emmanuel II. Born May 24, 1751: died at Rome, Oct. 6, 1819. King of Sardinia. He ascended the throne Oct. 16, 1796, and abdicated June 4, 1802. Charles Grand is on (chärlz gran'di-son), Sir. A novel by Samuel Richardson, published in 1753. See Grand is on , Sir Charles . Charles Martel (mär-tel') ("The Hammer"). Born about 690: died at Quierzy-sur-Oise, France, Oct. 22, 741. Duke of Austrasia, son of Pépin d'Héristal. He became mayor of the pal ace in 719, and defeated the Saracens between Poitiers and Tours in 732. Charles Robert. King of Hungary from about 1309 till 1342. He belonged to the house of Anjou. Charles City Cro Roads. See Frayser's Farm . Charleston (chärlz'ton). A seaport, capital of Charleston County, South Carolina, situated on a peninsula between the Ashley and Cooper rivers, in lat. 32° 46′ N., long. 79° 56' W. It has a large harbor (defended by Forts Sumter, Moul. trie, and Castle Pinckney), and is one of the chief com phosphate, naval stores, fertilizers, etc. It was founded mercial cities of the South. It exports cotton, rice, in 1680. A British attack on Sullivan's Island was repulsed by Moultrie June 28, 1776. It was unsucce fully attacked in 1779, and was besieged by Clinton and taken in May, 1780. Charleston was the center of the nullification movement of 1832-33. It was the place of meeting of the Democratic National Convention of 1860. The Seces sion Ordinance was pa ed here Dec. 20, 1860, and the bomates began the Civil War. (See Fort Sumter .) The town bardment of Fort Sumter, April 12, 1861, by the Confederwas evacuated by the Confederates Feb. 17, 1865. It was visited by an earthquake Aug. 31, 1886. Population (1900), 55,807. Charleston, sometimes called Kanawha (kanawa). The capital of West Virginia and of Kanawha County, situated on the Great Kanawha River 44 miles from its mouth. It has extensive salt-works and coal-mines. Population (1900), 11,099. Charles town (chrlz'toun). A former city, now the Charles town district of Boston, separated from Boston by the Charles River. It contains the State prison, a United States navy-yard, and Bunker Hill monument. It was settled in 1629, was burned by the British June 17, 1775, and was incorporated with Boston in 1874. Charles Town. The capital of Jefferson County, West Virginia, 8 miles southwest of Harper's Ferry, and 53 miles northwest of Washington. John Brown was executed here, Dec. 2, 1859. Population (1900), 2,392. ther, in Goethe's "Sorrows of Werther." She is the portrait of a person named Lotte Buff, and is also called Lotte in the novel. - 4. In Cibber's comedy "The Refusal, or The Ladies' Philosophy," the daughter of Sir Gilbert Wrangle and sister of Sophronia, courted by Frankly, with whom she is in love. Charlotte (Marie Charlotte Amélie Auguste Victoire Clémentine Léopoldine). Born at Laeken, near Bru els, June 7, 1840. 7,1840. Empre of Mexico. She is the only daughter of Leopold I. of Belgium, and Louise, prince of Orléans; and married, July 27, 1857, Maximilian, archduke of Austria, whom, on his acceptance of the imperial crown (1864), she accompanied to Mexico. She was sent by Maximilian in 1866 to Napoleon III. and Pius IX. to secure a istance against the republicans. Failing in her mi ion, and foreseeing the fall of her husband, she became hopele ly insane, and has been confined since 1879 in the care of her family near Bru els. Charlotte. The capital of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, in lat. 35° 12′ N., long. 80° 52' W. The "Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence" (which see) was pa ed here, May, 1775. Population (1900), 18,091. Charlotte Amalie (shär-lot' ä-mä'lye). The seaport of the island of St. Thomas, in the West Indies. Population, about 10,000. Charlotte, Aunt. A pseudonym of Mary Charlotte Yonge. Charlotte August a, Prince . Born at Carlton House, London, Jan. 7, 1796: died at Claremont, Surrey, England, Nov. 5, 1817. Only daughter of George IV. and Caroline of Brunswick, wife of Prince Leopold of Saxe Coburg (later King of the Belgians), whom she married May 2, 1816. Charlotte Elizabeth. The pseudonym of Mrs. Charlotte Elizabeth (Brown Phelan) Tonna. Charlotte Sophia. Born 1744: died at Kew, Nov. 17, 1818. Youngest daughter of Charles Lewis, brother of Frederic, duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and wife of George III. of England. Char lot ten burg (shär-lot' ten-börg). Dörg). [Named from Sophia Charlotte, wife of Frederick I.] A city in the province of Brandenburg, Pru ia, situated on the Spree 3 miles west of Berlin. It is a municipality, but is practically a part of Berlin. It contains a royal palace, the mausoleum of the recent Hohenzollerns, a technical high school, and a royal porcelain factory. The royal palace is an extensive group of buildings built in 1699 and later. The total frontage reaches 1,650 feet. The central part is surmounted by an impre ive dome, and the interior is decorated in the Louis XV. style. The apartments of Queen Louise are in the Louis XVI. style. Connected with the palace is the mausoleum, with Doric interior, in which are buried Frederick William III. and Queen Louise, and the emperor William I. and empre August a. The altar-tombs of the first two, with recumbent figures by Rauch, are justly admired. The city is on the site of the earlier Lietzow. Population (1900), 189,290. Charlottesville (shär'lots-vil). A city in Albemarle County, Virginia, 65 miles northwest of Richmond: the seat of the University of Virginia. (See Virginia , University of .) Population (1900), 6,449. IMG:content-0332.png:[blocks in formation] Charm ides (kär'mi-dēz). [Gr. Χαρμίδης.] Α dialogue of Plato, the narration by So crates of a conversation on the subject of temperance (moderation or practical wisdom) between himself, Charm ides (a beautiful youth renowned for his moderation), Critias, and Chærephon, which took place in Athens at the Palæstr a of Taureas, near the porch of the King Archon, immediately after the battle of Potidæa, from which So crates had just returned. Charm ides was an A then i an, son of Glaucon, cousin of Critias, and uncle of Plato. Char mouth (char'mouth). A village on the coast of Dor sets hire, England, 2 miles northeast of Lyme Regis. It is usually identified with Carrum, the scene of a victory of the Danes over Egbert in 835. Æthelwulf was defeated here by the Danes in 840 or 842 (?). Charnock (char'nok), Stephen. Bornat Lon don, 1628: died at London, July 27, 1680. An English nonconformist clergyman, a graduate of Emmanuel College, Cambridge: author of "A Treatise on the Excellence and Attributes of God," etc. Charnwood Forest (chärn'wüd for'est). A forest in the northwestern part of Leicestershire, England. Charolais, or Char olla is (shä-rō-lā'). A former county of France, in the department of Saône-et-Loire. Charolais, Comte de. See Charles the Bold . Charolles (shä-rol'). A town in the department of Saône-et-Loire, France, in lat. 46° 26' N., long. 4° 18' E. It was the ancient capital of Charolais. Population (1891), commune, 3,246. Charon (kā ron). [Gr. Χάρων .] In Greek mythology, the ferryman, a son of Erebus, who transported the souls of the dead (whose bod IMG:content-0333.png:[blocks in formation] France (ML. Cart us i a ), near the seat of the orig. monastery of the order, called distinctively La Grande Chartreuse.] A Car thus i an monastery (later a hospital, and a school for boys) in Lon- don, founded in 1371 by Sir Walter Manny and the Bishop of North burgh. At the di olution the Charter House was given by Henry VIII. to Sir Thomas Audley, and pa ed through various hands to Sir Thomas Sutton, who in 1611 endowed it as a charity under the name of the Hospital of St. James. This foundation long exin 1839. isted as a hospital for decayed gentlemen and a school for Charudes. See Harudes . boys. The school was transferred to Godalming, Surrey, in 1872, and the premises are now occupied by the school the most part of the early 16th century, and the great hall is one of the finest architectural interiors of that time. The great staircase, great chamber, chapel, and cloister are Chartreuse (shär-trez'), La Grande. The leading Car thus i an monastery, situated 13 miles northeast of Grenoble, in the depart- ment of Isère, France. It was founded by St. Bruno about 1084. It gives name to the li- queur Chartreuse, manufactured there. Chartreuse de Parme (shär-trėz' dė pärm), La. A novel by Stendhal (Beyle), published also of much interest. Charter Oak, The. A tree celebrated in American (legendary) history, which formerly stood in Hartford, Connecticut. According to tradition, when Governor Andros came to Hartford in 1687 to demand of the A embly the surrender of the colonial charter, the debate in that body over the governor's demand was prolonged beyond daylight, when suddenly the lights were extinguished, and in the darkne a patriot, Captain low oak. There is, however, no contemporary record of this event. The Charter Oak was overthrown by a storm Wads worth, escaped with charter and hid in 1856. Chartier (shär-tya'), Alain. Born at Bayeux, (Gaston Paris). A famous French poet and France, about 1392: died about 1430 or 1433 man of letters. He wrote "Le quadrilogue invectif," "L'Espérance," "La belle dame sans mercy," and numerous other works. His poetry consists mainly of allegorical and controversial love-poems and moral verse. He is best known by the story that Margaret of Scotland stooped and ki ed his lips while he lay asleep, to the astonishment of the attendants, for the poetry and virtu ous sentiments that had i ued from them. Chartists (chär'tists). A body of political reformers (chiefly working-men) that sprang up in England about the year 1838. The Chartists advocated as their leading principles universal suffrage, the abolition of the property qualification for a seat in Parliament, annual parliaments, equal representation, payment of members of Parliament, and vote by ballot, all of which they demanded as constituting the "people's charter." The members of the extreme section of the party, which favored an appeal to arms or popular risings if the charter could not be obtained by legitimate means, were called "physical-force men." The Chartists disappeared as a party after 1849. Also Charterists . Charybdis (ka-rib'dis). [Gr. Χάρυβδις .] In Greek mythology, a sea-monster which three times a day sucks in the sea and discharges it again in a terrible whirlpool: depicted as a maiden above, but ending below in the body bod of a fish begirt with hideous dogs. Opposite her was the other monster Scylla. In later times they were placed in the Straits of Me ina, Scylla being identified with a projecting rock on the Italian side. The name of Charybdis is derived by some from Semitic hur obed , 'hole of perdition, aby .' Charyllis (ka-ril'is). In Spenser's "Colin Clout's Come Home Again," a character intended for Lady Anne Compton, one of the six daughters of Sir John Spenser of Alt Chasdai ben Isaac ben S Shaphrut (chäs-di ben i'zak ben shäp-röt'). A Jewish statesman Althorpe. and physician in Cordova, Spain, 915-970, body califs Abd-er-Rahman III. and Al-Hakim. He was physician and minister of finance under the appointed by them Nasi (prince, head) over the Jews in the califate. He was a generous promoter of literature, and translated the botanical work of Dioscorides from Latin into Arabic. His correspondence with Joseph, the Jewish king of the Khazar kingdom, near the Caspian Sea, is extant. Chase (chās), Philander. Born at Cornish, N. H., Dec. 14, 1775: died at Robin's Nest, Ill., Sept. 20, 1852. An American mi ionary bishop of the Episcopal Church, one of the founders of Kenyon College, Ohio, and Jubilee College, Illinois. Chase, Salmon Portland. Born at Cornish, N. H., Jan. 13, 1808: died at New York, May 7, 1873. An American statesman and jurist, nephew of Philander Chase. He was United States. senator from Ohio 1849-55; governor of Ohio 1856-60; secretary of the treasury 1861-64; and chief justice of the Supreme Court 1864-73. lower world. His fee was an obolus or danace, and this coin was placed for him in the mouth of the dead previous to burial. Char on das (ka-ron'das). [Gr. Χαρώνδας .] Born at Catana, Sicily: lived about 500 в. с. Sicilian lawgiver who legislated for the cities of Chalcid i an origin in Sicily and Italy. Charon's staircase. See the extract. At the middle point of the [Greek] stage, some steps known as "Charon's staircase," because the ghost sometimes comes up by them-lead down into what we should call the pit. The Greeks call it the orchestra or dancing place.