Badge of the Order of Alcantara.
14), to the exclusion of Onias, the nephew of Mene- laus, having already been nominated by Antiochus Eupator (Josephus, Ant. xii, 9, 7; comp. Selden, De success, in pontif. p. 150), and instated into office by force of arms by the Syrian general Bacchides (1 Mace, vii, 9 sq.). According to a Jewish tradition (Bere- shith R. 65), he was "sister's son of Jose ben-Joeser," chief of the Sanhedrim, whom he afterward put to death (Raphall, Hist, of Jews, i, 245, 308). At first he attached many of the patriots to his cause by fair promises (1 Mace, vii, 18 sq.), but soon alienated by his perfidy not only these but his other friends, so that he was at length compelled to flee from the oppo- sition of Judas Maccabajus to the Syrian king (1 Mace. vii, 25 ; 2 Mace, xiv, 3 sq.). Nicanor, who was sent with a large army to assist him, was routed and slain by the Jewish patriots (1 Mace, vii, 43 ; 2 Mace, xv, 37), B.C. 161. Bacchides immediately advanced a second time against Jerusalem with a larpe army, routed Judas, who fell in the battle (B.C. 161), and reinstated Alcimus. After his restoration, Alcimus seems to have attempted to modifj' the ancient wor- ship, and, as he was engaged in pulling down "the walls of the inner court of the sanctuary" (i. e. which separated the court of the Gentiles from it ; j*et see Grimm, Comment, on 1 Mace, ix, 54), he was "plagued" (by paralysis), and "died at that time," B.C. 160 (Jo- sephus, Ant. xii, 9, 5 ; xii, 10 ; 1 Mace, vii, ix ; comp. 2 Mace, xiv, xv ; see Ewald, Gesch. des Volkes Isr. iv, 365 sq.).— Smith, s. v.
Alcuin, Flaccus, a native of Yorkshire, England, born A.D. 735, and educated under the care of Egbert and Albert, bishops of York, from whom he learned Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Most of the schools of France were either founded or improved by him. He was sent to Rome about 780, and on his return passed through Parma, where he met with Charlemagne, who secured his services, gave him several abbeys in France, and retained him as his tutor and friend dur- ing the rest of his life. The palace of Charlemagne was converted into an academy, in which the family and the intimate counsellors of Charlemagne joined the latter in becoming pupils of Alcuin. This acade- my, in which all the members assumed antique names (Charlemagne called himself David, Alcuin Flaccus, etc.), was the origin of the famous palatine schools in the houses of the princes which so long rivalled the cloister schools in the houses of the bishops. In 794 Alcuin took a prominent part in the Council of Frankfort, at which the theological opinions of the Adoptianists (q. v.) were condemned. About 796 Alcuin retired from the court to the abbey of St. Mar- tin, at Tours, which he soon made the most famous school of the aire. He died May 19, 804. His Life, by Lorentz (Halle, 1829), translated by Mrs. Slee, was published in London, 1837. The best edition of his works is entitled Alcuini opera post primam editionem a D. A. Quercitano curatam, etc., stud. Frobenii Ab- batis (Ratisbon, 1777, 2 vols. fol.). This edition con- tains 232 letters from Alcuin, and also several letters from Charlemagne in reply to Alcuin. They are a very valuable source of information for the ecclesias- tical history of the age, and extend to the year 787. Other letters, not contained in this edition, have been discovered by Pertz. Alcuin, in these letters, strong- ly declares himself against all compulsion in matters of faith, and in favor of religious toleration. The theological works of Alcuin comprise Qiuvst 'iuncuf.iv in Genesim (280 questions and answers on important pas- sages of the Genesis) ; Enchiridhim seu Expositio pia ct brevis in Psalmos Pindtentiales, a literal commentary on the penitential Psalms ; a commentary on the gos- pel of John ; a treatise on the doctrine of the Trinity ; and a number of homilies or panegyrics on the lives of the saints. He left, besides many theological writ- ings, several elementary works in the branches of phi- losophy, rhetoric, and philology; also poems, and a
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