MACE 



3558 



MACEDONIA 



MACE, a club-shaped staff used as a symbol 

 of authority. It was first known in early Ro- 

 man days, when lictors bore fasces, or staffs, 

 before magistrates. 

 Its use was con- 

 tinued in councils, 

 and it became the 

 emblem of legisla- 

 tive authority. In 

 the United States the 

 mace in the House 

 of Representatives in 

 Washington is about 

 three feet in length 

 and consists of 

 ebony rods bound 

 together with a band 

 of silver. A silver 

 globe stands on a 

 protruding rod, on 

 which rests a silver 

 eagle with wings 

 outspread. If the 

 legislative body ap- 

 pears at times be- 

 yond the Speaker's 

 control the mace is 

 lifted by a sergeant- 

 at-arms and the act 

 at once restores or- 

 der. Any member 

 disregarding the 

 mace is in contempt 

 and liable to censure 

 and expulsion. See 

 the article LICTOR, for illustration of jasces. 



MACE, a highly-flavored spice obtained from 

 the covering of the nutmeg, which is the seed 

 kernel of a pear-shaped tropical fruit (see NUT- 

 MEG). When this fruit becomes ripe its fleshy 

 halves open, exposing the mace-covered kernel. 

 Fresh mace is somewhat fleshy and of a blood- 

 red color, and in fragrance and flavor is similar 

 to the nutmeg. To prepare the mace for the 

 market the natives dry it in the sun, which 

 makes it half transparent and orange-yellow 

 in color. It is used as a flavoring, either whole 

 or ground. Mace is grown chiefly in the Spice 

 Islands (East Indies) and in the West Indies. 



MACEDONIA, mas e do' ma, or MACEDON, 

 once the mightiest empire in the world, now 

 only an unimportant division of territory in 

 the heart of the Balkan Peninsula. For many 

 years its people suffered cruelly at the hands 

 of the Turks, but it was finally liberated in the 

 Balkan War and divided between Serbia, Bul- 



MACES 

 (a) United* 

 States House 

 of Repre- 

 s entatives' 

 mace; (&) 

 the mace of the English 

 House of Commons. 



garia and Greece, the last named getting the 

 important seaport of Saloniki. In ancient 

 times Macedonia was the name of the terri- 

 tory lying north of the Aegean Sea and Thes- 

 saly, east of Illyria and west of Thrace. The 

 capital was Pella. Whether the Macedonians 

 were of Greek origin is a matter of doubt. 

 They were so different in manner and custom 

 that it is now considered probable they were a 

 distinct people. 



Philip of Macedon, or Philip II, made Mace- 

 donia a powerful state soon after his accession 

 in 359 B. c. Under Alexander the Great, the 

 illustrious son of Philip, Macedonia reached its 

 highest glory and spread until the empire em- 

 braced the countries now known as Greece, 

 Turkey, Persia and Egypt. After the death of 

 Alexander, the empire was divided among his 

 generals. 



Modern Macedonia, north of the Grecian 

 frontier and south of Bulgaria, since the middle 

 of the nineteenth century has been the scene 

 of bitter rivalry between the mixed races 

 inhabitants. The great "Eastern Questi< 

 which has so long perplexed the powers 

 Europe in reality was a question of MJ 

 donian existence. Among the inhabitants 

 Christians, Jews and Mohammedans of all 

 tionalities, with the Turks, the ruling race, 

 the minority. The inhabitants frequently 

 against the Turks, who put down these ii 

 rections with the utmost cruelty, and occ 

 sionally indulged in unprovoked whole 

 slaughter of Christians. Repeated represent 

 tions by the powers failed to bring about ai 

 permanent improvement in condition. 



In 1903 Russia and Austria demanded 

 forms in the administration of Macedonia, am 

 Turkey apparently yielded. Nothing definite 

 being done, the Macedonians rose in revolt 

 and war was waged for some months, when 

 they were persuaded to lay down their arms 

 upon promises from Turkey of better govern- 

 ment. For several years the situation 

 mained without improvement; occasional out 

 breaks were suppressed, and unprovoked nu 

 sacres and intolerable persecution of Christiai 

 marked Turkish rule. In 1912 the Balkan 

 states declared war against Turkey. As a 

 suit of the war Macedonia was divided betwe 

 the Balkan allies. W.E.L. 



Related Subjects. The following articles 

 these volumes will be of interest : 

 Alexander the Great Philip II (Macedon) 

 Balkan Wars Saloniki 



Greece, subtitle History Turkey 



