Geschichte des deutschen Kirchenliedes his auf Lntherszeit (Hanover, 1851), p. 23 sq. ; lA. Fundgruben fiir deutscke Sprache und Liteixitur, i, 38-47; Wackernagel, Litera- turgesch.%d\,Z-2. (J.H.W.)
Othlo, a Benedictine monk who flourished near the middle of the 11th century, is noted for his mystico-the- ological writings, and for several biographies of German saints. He was born at Freisingen of respectable par- ents; was educated at the convent in Tegernsee, and at Hersfeld. After a short stay at Wurzburg he entered the convent of Emmeram at Regensburg, and remained within its walls for over thirty years ; then spent four years in hard literary labors at F\ilda; and again went to Regensburg to die in the convent, some time near the close of the century. A list of all his works is given by Waitz in Pertz, Monum. German. Hist, vi, 521. Among Othlo's theological writings are, Liber visionum sjmi- tualis ductrince sententice: — Dialogus de tribus qucestio- nibus: — De cursu spirituuli. His opus De tentationibus (ipsius) varia fortmxa et scriptis, Mabillon publislied in his A 7ialect. (Par. 1685), vol. iv. Among his biographies of German saints are lives of St. Boniface and St. Wolf- gang. See Aschbach, Kirchen-Lexikon, iv, 401; Lea, Hist, of Sacerdotal Celibacy, p. 196.
Otlun&n, Ibn-Affax, the third caliph of the Mos- lems after the Prophet, is noted in Mohammedan his- tory not only on account of the importance of his own reign, but also as the life-companion of the founder of Islam. He was a direct descendant from Abd el-menaf, one of the ancestors of the Prophet. Having early adopted Isl;\m by the persuasion of Mohammed, he be- came one of his most zealous ashdh (companions), fol- lowed him in his flight from Mecca to Medina, and was made, on his return, one of his most confidential friends and secretaries. Upon the death of the caliph Omar, it was found that Othman was one of the six individuals whom he had by his will designated for his place. After mature deliberation, the majority chose Othm.nn, on con- dition that he would govern the people according to the rules of tlie Koran, which Othman solemnly promised to do; and he was accordingly invested with the supreme power towards the end of Dhi-1-hajjah A.H. 32 (Nov. or Dec, A.D. 644), three days after the death of Omar. His first public act was to send a body of troops under El-mugheyrah Ibn-Shaabah to complete the reduction of the province of Hamadan (A.D. 045), while another army expelled Jezdegerd from Persia (A.D. 646). See Omar. Another body of Arabs (A.D. 647) reduced all that part of Khorassiin which had escaped former inva- sions. In the mean while Abdullah Ibn-Said invaded Eastern Africa, and, after defeating and killing at Yaku- bij'ah the patrician Gregorius, who commanded in the Grecian emperor's name, subdued its principal cities. Four years afterwards (A.D. 651) the same commander made an incursion into Nubia, and obliged the Christian sovereign of that countrj^ to sue for peace and pay him tribute. The islands of Cyprus and Rhodes were at- tacked and plundered by Muawiyah Ibn-Abi-Sufyan (A.D. 648) : these two maritime expeditions being the first which the Arabs ever made. But while the tem- poral power of Islam was thus extending its hold on all sides, Othman himself was rapidly losing his influence over his subjects, alienating their affections by the weak- ness of his internal administration and his partiality to- wards the members of his family. Othman began his reign by removing the celebrated Amrii Ibn-el-ass from the government of Egypt — a country which he had con- quered— and appointing in his place his own foster- brother, Abdidlah Ibn-Said. This measure was as dis- agreeable to the Arabs as to the Egyptians. The people of Alexandria, who bore impatiently the Mohammedan yoke, and were only kept in obedience by the mildness and the justice of their governor, seeing a favorable op- portunity, entered into a correspondence with the Greek emperor, and surrendered to him the city; and although Othman immediately reinstated Amru, who recovered
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Alexandria and demolished its fortifications, this was not accomplished without great difficulty and consider- able bloodshed (A.D. 64(5). Saad Ibn-Abi Wakkas and Abu Musa el-ashaari, two of ^Mohammed's companions, were also ileprived by him of their command. Othman rendered himself further obnoxious by occupying the "minbar" (pulpit), and while at prayers in the mosque the same place which the Prophet had used, instead of placing himself, as his predecessors Omar and Abu-Bekr had done, a few steps lower down. He had also lost from off his finger a silver signet-ring which had once belonged to the Prophet, and with which the caliphs his predecessors had sealed their despatches — an ominous circumstance, which was regarded by all zealous Mos- lems as the greatest blow that could be inflieted on their rising empire; and he had recalled from his exile Ilakem Ibn-Aass, whom the Prophet himself had banished from Mecca. Othman was further accused of excessive prod- igality towards his favorites. Finally public discontent ran so high that the elders of the Arabian tribes and the most illustrious of Mohammed's own companions met at Medina, and threatened Othman with deposition unless he could justify his public acts. Othman resent- ed this daring action of his subjects as an outrage upon his authority, and he not only ignored the message, but even severely abused the messenger. Tlie people con- tinued their protestations, and loudly clamored for his abdication, and they would even have done violence to his person had not Ali, who had considerable influence with the rebellious subjects, promised immediate remedy in the caliph's name. Quiet was only maintained for a short time, however; for Ayesha, the Prophet's widow, sorely hated Othman, and she fanned an insurrection which resulted in tlie murder of Othman in his own palace, his soldiers having previously deserted him. His mutilated body lay unnoticed for three days; but was finally buried in a hole, without any ceremony, accord- ing to Abulfeda and Atabari, on June 18, G56 (18th day of Dhi-1-hajjah, A.H. 35). Othman was a pious Mo- hammedan, and was not only well versed in the Koran, but was the first to make an authentic copy of this sa- cred book of Islam, thus furnishing the basis for all fut- ure cojiies of the Koran. The transcription was done under his own supervision by Zeyd Ibn-Thabit, Abdul- lah Ibn-Zobeyr, and other companions of the Prophet. Othman himself transcribed the Koran several times, and while in the palace awaiting his assassination he was found to enjoy the companionship of the Koran. See Abulfaraj, Hist. Dynast, (transl. by Pococke), p. 31 sq. ; Ockley, Hist, of the Saracens, vol. i ; Price, J/o- hammedan Histort/, vol. i ; En//l, Cyclop, s. v., and the authorities there quoted.