POWERS 



4804 



PRAETORIAN GUARD 



all and every act and thing whatsoever requisite 

 and necessary to be done in and about the prem- 

 ises, as fully to all intents and purposes as I might 

 or could do if personally present, with ail power 

 of substitution and revocation, hereby satisfying 

 and confirming all t il attorney or his 



substitute shall lawfully do or cause to be done 

 by virtue thereof. 



In witness whereof. I have hereunto set my 

 hand and seal the third day of March, one thou- 

 sand nine hundred and seventeen. 



JOHN WARD (Seal)i 

 Signed. Sealed and Delivered 

 In Presence of 



HOWARD JOHNSON, 



Notary Public. 



POWERS, HIRAM (1805-1873), an American 

 sculptor, born at Woodstock, Vt. After years 

 of struggle he was enabled to realize his am- 

 bition to study in Italy. He removed to Flor- 

 ence in 1837, where he remained for the rest 

 of his life. A touch of tender melancholy is 

 discernible in his Eve Disconsolate, the Last 

 oj the Tribe and the Greek Slave. The last 

 named, his best-known work, of which he made 

 six replicas, is noted for its purity of treatment 

 and beauty of form. The Fisher Boy, Proser- 

 pine and II Pcnseroso are the titles of other 

 sculptural pieces which won him recognition 

 at home and abroad. He executed also busts 

 and statues of many eminent Americans, in- 

 cluding Franklin, Washington, Webster, Cal- 

 houn and Sheridan. 



POWERS, THE GREAT, the term used in 

 modern international diplomacy to designate 

 the most powerful nations of the world. At 

 the beginning of the twentieth century, the 

 nations included in the term were Austria, 

 France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, 

 Russia and the United States. The War of 

 the Nations, which began in Europe in 1914, 

 did not effect important changes in the list of 

 powers of highest rank. 



POWHATAN, pouhatan' (about 1550-1618), 

 an American Indian chief, born near James- 

 town, Va. His real name was WAHUNSONA- 

 COOK, Powhatan being the name of his tribe. 

 It is believed that in his early manhood he was 

 chief of eight tribes, but before his death had 

 become leader of thirty, numbering more than 

 8,000 members. His domain was large, extend- 

 ing southward for about three hundred miles 

 from the James River and about two hundred 

 miles inland from the seacoast. He was a 

 man of shrewdness, genuine executive ability 

 and cruelty, and demanded implicit obedience 

 from his subjects. 



In 1607 he captured Captain John Smith 

 and was about to kill him when, according to 



Smith, his daughter Pocahontas begged suc- 

 cessfully for the white man's life (see POCA- 

 HONTAS). In 1609 Smith crowned him em- 

 peror of the Indies, but needed supplies hoped 

 for from the Indians in return for this honor 

 were not granted, and Smith then tried to cap- 

 ture him. Powhatan henceforth planned the 

 destruction of the English, and was active 

 against them until Pocahontas married John 

 Rolfe in 1614. After that event he was always 

 friendly, and he frequently supplied the settlers 

 with food. 



PRAETOR, pre'tor, one of the most impor- 

 tant magistrates in the Roman republic. Origi- 

 nally the name was but a title of honor borne 

 by the consuls, but when, in 367 B.C.. the ple- 

 beians were given rights to the consulship, the 

 patricians demanded that they be allowed to 

 appoint the new officers from their own num- 

 ber. To this new magistrate, who was called 

 praetor, was given the judicial part of the 

 duties of the consuls. When the office assumed 

 greater importance the plebeians demanded 

 that the right to election be thrown open to 

 them also, and this privilege they gained in 

 337 B. c. About 227 B.C. the number of praetors 

 was increased to four; at a later date there 

 were sometimes from twelve to eighteen. A 

 praetor held office for a year, and at the close 

 of his term was usually sent as governor to a 

 province. To the edicts of the successive prae- 

 tors of the Roman law is said to owe much. 



PRAETORIAN, pretoh'rian, GUARD, the 

 personal guard of the Roman emperors. The 

 commander-in-chief of the Roman republic had 

 a bodyguard which was called by this name 

 and which consisted of picked men from the 

 legions. Augustus made of the praetorians a 

 standing army consisting of nine cohorts of 

 1,000 men each, three cohorts being kept in 

 Rome, the others in near-by cities. Under Ti- 

 berius the cohorts were given a permanent 

 camp in the city, and under Vitellius their 

 number was increased to sixteen. Members re- 

 ceived double the pay of the regular soldiers, 

 were held to be equal in rank to the centurions 

 of the legions, and at the close of their six- 

 teen-year terms were given a liberal reward. 

 The praetorians greatly abused their privileges, 

 gaining in time the chief power in the state, 

 appointing and deposing the emperor at will. 

 It became absolutely necessary for a man who 

 wished to be emperor to win their favor in 

 some way or to buy it after his election. Thn 

 praetorian guard was abolished A. o. 312 by 

 Constantine. 



