APURIMAC

apurimac, an interior department of southern peru, bounded n. by the department of ayacucho, e. by cuzco, s. and w. by cuzco and ayacucho. area, 8187 sq. m.; pop. (1896) 177,387. the department was created in 1873 and comprises five provinces. its physical features and productions are very similar to those of ayacucho (q.v.), with the exception that sugar-cane is cultivated with noteworthy success in the low valley of the province of abancay. the capital, abancay, 110 m. south-west of cuzco, which is only a village in size but is rich in historical associations and andahuaylas, in the north-west part of the department, are its principal towns. apyrexia (gr. [greek: apyrexia], from [greek: a-], privative, [greek: pyressein], to be in a fever, [greek: pyr], fire, fever), in pathology, the normal interval or period of intermission in a fever. 'aqiba ben joseph (c. 50-132), jewish palestinian rabbi, of the circle known as _tana_ (q.v.). it is almost impossible to separate the true from the false in the numerous traditions respecting his life. he became the chief teacher in the rabbinical school of jaffa, where, it is said, he had 24,000 scholars. whatever their number, it seems certain that among them was the celebrated rabbi meir, and that through him and others 'aqiba exerted a great influence on the development of the doctrines embodied in the mishnah. he sided with bar cochebas in the last jewish revolt against rome, recognized him as the messiah, and acted as his sword-bearer. being taken prisoner by the romans under julius severus, he was flayed alive with circumstances of great cruelty, and met his fate, according to tradition, with marvellous steadfastness and composure. he is said by some to have been a hundred and twenty years old at the time of his death. he is one of the ten jewish martyrs whose names occur in a penitential prayer still used in the synagogue service. 'aqiba was among the first to systematize the jewish tradition, and he paved the way for the compilation of the mishnah. from his school emanated the greek translation of the scriptures by aquila. aquae (lat. for "waters"), a name given by the romans to sites where mineral springs issued from the earth. over a hundred can be identified, some declaring by their modern names their ancient use: aix-les-bains in savoy (_aquae sabaudicae_), aix-en-provence (_aquae sextiae_), aix-la-chapelle or aachen (_aquae grani_), &c. only two occur in britain: _aquae sulis_--less correctly _aquae solis_--at bath in somerset, which was famous, and buxton (called _aquae_ simply), which seems to have been far less important. aquae sulis was occupied by the romans almost as soon as they entered the island in a.d. 43, and flourished till the end of the roman period. it was frequented by soldiers quartered in britain, by the britons, and by visitors from north gaul, and its name was known in italy, though patients probably seldom travelled so far. like most mineral springs known to the ancients, it was under the protection of a local deity, the celtic sul, whom the romans equated with their minerva. stately remains of its baths and temple have been found at various times, especially in 1790 and 1878-1895, and may still be seen there.