'Ur retained its metropolitan character for above two centuries, and even after it became second to Babvlon was a great city, with an especially sacred character.
ins of Temple at Mugheir.
The notions entertained of its superior sanctity led to its being used as a cemetery city, not only during the time of the early Chaldean supremac\', but throughout the Assyrian and even the later Babylonian period. It is in the main a city of tombs. By far the greater portion of the space within the enceinte is occupied by graves of one kind or another, while outside the en- closure the whole space for a distance of several hun- dred yards is a thickly occupied burial-ground. It is believed that 'Ur was for 1800 years a site to which the dead were brought from vast distances, thus resem- bling such places as Kerbela and Nejif, or Meshed Ali, at the present day. The latest mention that we find of 'Ur as an existing place is in the passage of Eupole- mus already quoted, where we learn that it had changed its name, ami was called C'amarina. It probably fell into decay inider the Persians, and was a mere ruin at the time of Alexander's conquests. Perhaps it was the place to which Alexander's informants alluded when they told him that the tombs of the old Assyrian kings were chiefly in the great marshes of the lower country (Arrian, />;). J/e.c. vii, 22). The mounds that mark the site of its great temples are bare; the whole coun- try around it is a dismal swamp. In regard to 'Ur,
URAETTIR
6V2
URBAN IV
as well as to Babylon, the words of Isaiah are true, •' The beauty of the Chaldees' excellency shall be as when (iod overthrew Sodom and (lomorrah" (xiii, 19). .See Loftiis, 6'A«W(e«, ch. xii ; Hawlinson, Ancient Mon- archies, i, 15 sq., 27, 108, lo3; Jour. Roijal Geoyr. Soc. xxvii, 185. See Ciiald.ka.
2. ("itX, Ur, litj/if; Sept. 'Qpa v. r. ei>f)o[(pdf)], etc.; Vulg. Ur.) The father of Eliphal or Eliplialet, one of David's warriors (1 Chron. xi, 35). B.C. ante 1043. In tlie parallel list of David's warriors (2 Sam. xxiii, 34) we have the son's name thus stated," Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai,the son of tiic Maachathite," or the Maachathite simply, as it should doubtless be made to read; while the above passage still more corniptlv gives two per- sons, '• Eliphal the son of I'r, Ilcpher the Mccherathite," which should probably be corrected so as to refer to one individual, either by the rejection of the name Hepher altogether, or its identiticaiion with one of the preced- ing; for the personages named before and after these in the two accounts are evidently the same, and the sub- joined sum is full by counting these as one. See David.
Uraettir, in Norse mythology, denotes the entire dynasty of the TroUes, Thusses, serpent-like dwarfs and giants, the Jotes, Schwarzelfs, and Dockelfs.
Urauius, a Nestorian of Syria who applied the pre- cepts of Aristotle to the Eutychian controversies and propagated his doctrines in Persia. He succeeded in convincing Cliosroes on many points, and was so popu- lar with this ruler that lie always had him at his table. See M<.isheim, Eccl. Hist, i, 388.
Uranus (Lat. Caelus), the heaven, in Greek mythol- ogy', was the progenitor of the whole line of Grecian gods. His first children were the Hecatonchires (Cen- timanes). Afterwards he begot, through Giia, the Cy- clops. These were imprisoned in Tartarus because of tlieir great strength. Tliis so movetl their mother to anger that she incited her subse(iuently born children, the Titanes, against the father, who drove him from the throne of the earth, after Kronus (Saturnus), his younger son, had, with a diamond sickle, disqualified him for the further production of children. The sea received the mutilated organs, which gave life to Venus. From the blood which was spilled there sprang tlie (iiants, the Furies, and the Melian nym|>hs. See Smith, JHc/. of Or. and Rom. Jiior/. and Mijthol. s. v.
Urban I, pope from A.D. 223 to 230, was a native of Rome, but tradition mentions nothing worthy of note concerning him except that he persuaded several Ro- mans to suffer the martyr's death, and was finally mar- tyred himself under Alexander Severus. May 25 is dedicated to his celebration.
Urban II, pope from A.D. 1088 to 1000, previously named Udo of LiKjiiy, was born in Chafillon-sur-Marne. and became successively canon of Kheims, prior of Clugny, bishop of Ostia, and legate to the court of the emperor Henry IV. In the latter station he labored ethcieiitly to insure the papal prerogative in connection with the Investiture controversy. He followed Victor III as pope, and represented the (iregorian party in his administration. He succeeded in maintaining himself against pope Clement H, who was elected by the im- perial party, and also in greatly extending the influ- ence and reputation of the papacy throughout the West. In lOSit li(? convened a council at Home which de- nounced the ban upon the emperor, his yiope, and their adherents. At the (Jonriiium Melfitamim, in 1090, he enunciated the decree that the laity could possess no right whatsoever against the clergy (see Mansi, Col- lectio 6'o«cJ/. XX, canon 11,723 [Venet, 1775]). He was driven from Rome by the em])eror, and compelled to seek a refuge with count I!<ig(T, upon whom he had conferred the districts of Apulia and Calabria. He retaliated by renewing the ban over his enemy (1091) and forming an alliance with Conrad, the empemr's son. who rebelled and made liimselt king of Italv. Ur-