Marathonian 
Marathonian (mar-a-tho'ni-an), a. and n. [< L. 
Marathon, < Gr. Mnpaftix, Marathon (see def.) 
(prob. so called from being overgrown with fen- 
nel, (.fidpaOov, /tdpaSof , /idpa6pov, > L. marathrum, 
fennel), + -ian.] I. a. Of or pertaining to Mara- 
thon in Attica, the site of the famous battle in 
which the Athenians and Platoans overthrew 
the Persians in 490 B. c. : as, the Marathonian 
bull overcome by Theseus; the Marathonian 
mound or tumulus (the burial-place of the 
Greeks killed in the battle, still existing). 
II. n. Same as Macedonian, 2. 
Marattia (ma-rat'i-ii), n. [NL. (Swartz, 1806), 
named after J. F. Maratti of Vallombrosa in 
Tuscany, a writer on ferns.] A genus of ferns, 
typical of the order Marattiacew. They are coarse- 
habited plants, having large scalyrhizomesandample twice- 
or thrice-pinnate fronds, with oblong pinnules, bearing the 
sori in lines near the margin. Many fossil ferns showing 
both fronds and fructification closely resembling those of 
this genus occur, chiefly in Triassic (Rhetic) strata, and 
were called Marattiopsis by Schimper, who united with 
that genus all the forms which had been called Angiopteri- 
iliiiM, since found very abundant in the Mesozoic beds 
of India, and quite recently in the Potomac formation of 
Virginia. 
Marattiaceae (ma-rat-i-a'se-e), n. pi. [NL. 
(Kaulfuss, 1824), < Marattia + -acece.'] An 
order of eusporangiate ferns, typified by the 
genus Marattia. They are found in South America, 
the eastern Pacific islands, South Africa, and southern 
Asia. They differ from the true ferns on the one hand 
by the absence of the jointed ring of the spore-case, and 
from the Ophioglossaceae on the other by the circinate ver- 
nation. By some authors they are regarded as a distinct 
class, of equal rank with the true Filices and OphiogloKia- 
ceae. Called Daiueaceae by Agardh. 
maraud (ma-rad'), v. i. [< F. marauder, play 
the rogue, go about begging or pilfering, < 
maraud, a rogue, knave, scoundrel ; origin un- 
certain; perhaps, with suffix -aud, -old, < OF. 
marir, marrir, lose one's way, stray, etc., tr. 
hinder, annoy: see marl, .] To rove in quest 
of plunder; make an excursion for booty; go 
about for robbery: used especially of the de- 
spoiling action of soldiers in time of war, or of 
organized bands of robbers or pirates. 
But war 's the Borderers' game. 
Their gain, their glory, their delight, 
To sleep the day, maraud the night. 
Scott, Marmion, v. 4. 
maraud (ma-rad'), n. [< maraud, .] Spolia- 
tion by marauders. [Rare.] 
While it would expose the whole extent of the surround- 
ing country to maraud and ravage. Irving. 
marauder (ma-ra'der), n. One who marauds; 
a rover in quest of booty or plunder; a plun- 
derer; especially, one of a number of soldiers 
or of an organized band engaged in spoliation. 
Joining a corsair's crew, 
O'er the dark sea I flew 
With the marauders. 
Longfellow, Skeleton in Armor, vi. 
= Syn. Freebooter, etc. See robber. 
maravedi (mar-a-va'di), n. [= F. maraoedi, 
maramedi (Cotgr'ave), < Sp. maravedi (=Pg. ma? 
ravedim), also morabitino (= Pg. marabitino), a 
coin so called, < AT. Murabitin, the name of a 
Moorish dynasty (Sp., with the Ar. art., Almora- 
vides) which reigned in Spain at the close of the 
llth and in the first half of the 1 2th century, dur- 
ing which time the coin was first struck at Cor- 
dova; pi. of morabit, a hermit, marabout: see 
Marabout^.'] 1 . A gold coin struck in Spain by 
the Moorish dynasty of Almoravides in the 
eleventh and twelfth centuries. It weighed 
about 60 grains. 2. In later times, the small- 
est denomination of Spanish money, varying in 
value from a little less to a little more than half 
an English farthing or quarter of a United State s 
cent. Asa copper coin the maravedi circulated till the end 
of the eighteenth century ; as a money of account it was 
abolished in 1848. Not worth a maravedi, worthless. 
maray, . Same as moray. 
marble (mar'bl), n. and a. [< ME. marble, mar- 
T)il, marbelk, marbulle, merbijl, also marbre, < OF. 
marble, marbre, F. marbre = Pr. marme, marbre 
= Sp. marnidl = Pg. marmorr = It. marmo = 
AS.marmar(-stdit), ' 
3624 
marmel OHG. mar mid, MHG. inarm ft, mermel, 
Or. marmel, also marmel, murmel, marmor = Icel. 
mannari = Sw. Dan. marmor = OBulg. mramor A 
= Bulg. Serv. mramor (also mermer, < Turk.) = 
Bohem. mramor = Pol. marmitr = lings, mra- 
moru = White Russ. marmur = Lith. marmorax 
= Hung, mareany = Turk, mermer, <, L. marmor, 
rarely marmur, marble, < Gr. n&pfiapoi;, a stone 
or rock of a white or bright appearance, later 
esp. (sc. /<0of) marble, < /uipiiaipeiv, sparkle; cf. 
fialpa, the dog-star, lit. 'sparkler.' Hence ult. 
marver, marmoset.] I. n. 1. Limestone in a 
more or less crystalline or crystalline-granular 
condition. Any limestone, however, even if very com- 
pact or showing only traces of a crystalline structure, may 
l>e called marble if it is capable of taking a polish, or if it 
is suitable or desirable for ornamental and decorative pur- 
poses. The presence of magnesium carbonate associated 
with the calcium carbonate, forming dolomitic limestone 
or even pure dolomite, does not in any way influence the 
nomenclature of the rock ; indeed, such presence cannot 
usually be known except from chemical analysis. Marble 
is a material of great importance in architecture, not only 
for exterior use, but for interior decoration in large, costly 
monumental structures. Thirty-three varietiesof ornamen- 
tal stone are used in the interior of the Grand Opera House 
in Paris, and a large proportion of these may be classed as 
marbles. The value and beauty of marble depend largely 
on its coloration. Perfectly pure carbonate of lime, dolo- 
mitic limestone, and dolomite are all colorless, and white 
marbles or at least such as are only slightly tinged with 
color are very abundant. White marble such as is used 
for statuary (for which purpose it must be obtained in large 
Mocks free from flaws or defects of any kind, and perfectly 
uniform in tint) is extremely rare. Among the finest stat- 
uary-marbles are those used in the masterpieces of Greek 
sculpture, of which that from the island of Paros is gen- 
erally admitted to surpass all others, especially in the 
possession of a certain amount of translucence by which 
the artistic effect of the work is heightened. The Parian 
8uarries seem, however, to have been practically ex- 
austed. The Pentelican marble, obtained from quarries 
near Athens, stood next to the Parian in ancient times, 
and its quarries are still apparently inexhaustible. At 
the present time the artistic world is supplied with stat- 
uary-marble from quarries in the Apennine mountains 
overlooking the Bay of Spezia, and in the vicinity of Car- 
rara, Massa, and Serravezza. From this marble were 
carved the finest works of Michelangelo. These quarries, 
which have been extensively worked for 2,000 years, fur- 
nish, in addition to the white, a large amount of varie- 
gated marble, especially of the variety known as bar- 
diglio. The number and variety of colored and variegated 
marbles used for various artistic and architectural pur- 
poses is very great. Entirely black marble capable of tak- 
ing a fine polish is rare ; much more common are varieties 
irregularly shaded with gray, bluish-gray, or dove-colored 
tints. Bright colors red, yellow, green, and blue are 
much rarer than the less brilliant shades, but they are seen 
in some marbles, and are occasionally so blended and in* 
terbanded as to produce extremely beautiful effects. These 
brilliant colorations are chiefly due to the presence of iron 
in various combinations ; dark and grayish shades are gen- 
erally caused by the presence of a greater or less amount 
of organic matter. In many varieties of marble the pres- 
ence of organic remains embedded in the rock adds greatly 
to its attractiveness. Joints and stems of encrinites, as 
well as many other kinds of fossils, occur in this way, and 
by contrast of their color with that of the material in which 
they are inclosed, as well as by the gracefulness of their 
forms, produce a very fine 
effect. Fragments of shells 
embedded in calcareous 
rocks sometimes exhibit a 
brilliant display of irides- 
cent coloration : such mar- 
Ides are known as luina- 
thelles, or, sometimes, fire- 
marbles. A beautiful effect 
is occasionally produced as 
the result of deposition of 
the calcareous material in 
stalagmitic form, so that 
when cut and polished the 
marble exhibits concentric 
zones of various tints ; va- 
rieties having this structure 
are frequently called onyx marble. The vicinity of the 
Mediterranean is the classic region of marbles. Italy, 
France, and Spain are rich in beautiful varieties, and these 
are seen in the greatest number and to the best advantage 
in the architectural works of ancient and modern Rome. 
For this reason many of the rarest and most attractive mar- 
bles are best known by Italian names, and these names are 
frequently applied to varieties occurring far away from the 
Mediterranean, from either real or fancied similarity to the 
Italian marbles. Some of the best-known and most highly 
prized classic variegated marbles are the following. Afri 
cana, from the island of Chios, is a lumachelle, or shell- 
marble, exhibiting a great variety and brilliancy of colora- 
tion, reddish and purplish tints predominating. Bardiglio 
is common in the Apennine quarries, of a grayish- or 
bluish-white color, traversed by darker veins of the same. 
Brftcatel and brocatellone are extremely variegated mar- 
bles, with numerous interlacing veins of yellow, violet, 
and crimson tints, on a yellowish ground ; marble bear- 
ing these designations has been and still is quarried in 
various places, and especially near Tortosa in Spain. CT- 
pollino is a marble with more or less of a concretionary 
structure, of many tints and much variety in their arrange- 
ment, with corresponding names, such as cipollino verde. 
7wT.ndor?ato (having almond-shaped patches of color), rosso, 
etc. -anneexampleofthismarblemaybe seen inthecolumns 
of the Braccio Nuovo of the Vatican. Fior di peritico is an 
exquisitely beautiful marble, with a reddish and crimson 
shading on a white base : called by the ancients marmor 
Moloiidum, because coming from the region inhabited by 
the Molossi, in what is now Albania, on the eastern coast 
of the Adriatic. Giallo antico or Xumidian marble is an 
Shell-marble. 
marble 
extremely beautiful marble quart led in northern Africa; 
it was highly esteemed and extensively used by the Ro- 
mans. The tints are variable, red and yellow predominat- 
ing; the different varieties were designated by names in- 
dicating the prevailing tints. Giallo di Siena is a beauti- 
ful yellow marble of various depths of color, with darker 
veins, in which violet hues predominate : when these 
veins are very numerous the marble becomes a brocatel. 
Pavonazzo and pavonazetto are various red and purplish 
marbles and breccias, some of the latter being also true 
marbles, but having a more or less brecciated character. 
The most beautiful pavonazetto is that called by the Ko- 
mans marmvr Synadicum or Phrygian marble, from the 
locality where it was obtained ; it is characterized by a very 
irregular venation of dark-red with bluish and yellowish 
tints, ramifying through a translucent alabaster-like base, 
which is sometimes almost opaline in its play of colors. 
Rosso antico is a marble of very deep red color, sometimes 
of various shades, occasionally streaked or clouded with 
dark-purple or whitish tints. The original locality of the 
classic rosso antico has not been discovered, but some mod- 
ern red marbles closely resemble this variety. Some of the 
most highly prized French colored marbles bear names 
peculiar to France. (See griotte, portor, sarrancolin.) 
The Devonian and Carboniferous of England and Ireland 
furnish a considerable number of ornamental marbles. 
Devonshire and Derbyshire are the counties in which the 
best-known English varieties are obtained. The finest Irish 
variegated marbles are quarried near Armagh, and at vari- 
ous localities in county Cork, also at Killarney. and on the 
islands of the Kenmare river; and marble called Siena is 
obtained from several places in King's county and near 
Shannon Harbor in Galway. The most important quar- 
ries of white and grayish marble in the United States are 
those in the Lower Silurian of Vermont and western Mas- 
sachusetts. There are very extensive marble-works at Rut- 
land in Vermont, at Lee in Massachusetts, and at many 
other points in the same geological formation. Some of 
the variegated marbles found on the islands and near the 
shores of Lake Champlain are very handsome, but they are 
not extensively worked. The most popular colored marble 
in the United States at the present time is the Tennessee, a 
light-grayish stone beautifully mottled with shades of pink- 
ish red. This marble has been extensively employed in the 
capitols at Washington and Albany. 
There is a Vessel of Marbre, undre the Table, to res- 
seyve the Oyle. Mandeville, Travels, p. 124. 
2. A piece of sculptured or inscribed marble, es- 
pecially if having some interest as an object of 
study or curiosity, and more particularly if an- 
cient; any work of art in marble: as, the Elgin 
marbles. 3. A little ball of marble or other 
stone, or of baked clay, porcelain, or glass, 
used by children in play; an alley. 4. In glass- 
blowing, a block or thick piece of wood in which 
are formed hemispherical concavities, used in 
the manufacture of flasks, etc., to shape thefused 
glass gathered upon the end of the glass-blow- 
er's pipe into an approximately spherical form 
by pressing and turning it over in the concavi- 
ties preparatory to the blowing. See maner. 
[In this sense improperly spelled marbel.] 5f. 
Marble-silk. 
Then cam the lord tresorer with a C. gret horsse and 
ther cotes of marbuU. 
H. Machyn, Diary, quoted in Rock's S. K. Textiles, p. 77. 
6f. pt. A venereal disease, probably bubo. K. 
G reen jEglna marbles, or .Iginetan marbles. See 
jfiffinetan. Artificial marble, a composition of alum, 
gypsum, isinglass, and coloring materials worked into 
a paste, molded into form, and allowed to harden. Arun- 
del marbles, or Arundelian marbles, also known as the 
Oxford marbles, a collection of ancient sculptures, inscrip- 
tions, and other antiquities, purchased by Sir William Petty 
at Smyrna in 1624 for the Earl of Arundel, whose grandson, 
at the instance of Evelyn, presented a portion of it to the 
University of Oxford. The most valuable object in this col- 
lection is the inscribed slab called the Parian Chronicle, 
from having been kept in the island of Paros. In its perfect 
state, the inscription contained a chronicle of the principal 
events in Grecian history from the time of the mythical Ce- 
crops to the archonship of Diognetus(264 B. c.) ; but the part 
of itcovering the last ninety years is now lost, and much of 
what remains is corroded and defaced. Elgin marbles, 
a collection of ancient sculptures, for the most part of the 
school of Phidias and from the Parthenon at Athens, taken 
to England during the first years of the nineteenth century 
by the Earl of Elgin, and now preserved in the British Mu- 
Specimen Slab of the Elgin Marbles. A central piece of the Par- 
thenon frieze, with figures of Athena and Hephjestus. 
seum. These sculptures are the finest surviving work of 
ancient artists, and comprise the greatest part now in ex- 
istence of thv sculptured decoration of the Parthenon, in- 
cluding the splendid fragments of the pediment statues, 
a great number of metopes, and an extended series of the 
blocks carved in low relief of the cella frieze. The re- 
moval of the marbles, many of which were torn violent- 
ly from their original positions upon the Parthenon, to 
the further damage of that monument, was in itself an 
act of vandal ism; tint their transportation to England at a 
time when Greece was accessible with difficulty opened the 
