(Conrad), and (Stephen Robert), his brother; French refugees; celebrated as printers at Geneva, and Conrade as an author. The latter died in 1566. BÆCKEA, in botany: A genus of the oestandria order, belonging to the monogynia clas of plants. The calyx is a permanent perianthium, consisting of a single funnel-shaped leaf, cut into five segments at the brim; the corolla consists of five roundish spreading petals inserted into the calyx; the pericarpium is a globose capsule, made up of four valves, and containing four cells, in which are a few roundish angular seeds.

BÆTERRÆ, an ancient town of the Tertofages in Gallia Narbonensis; now Béziers, on the east bank of the Obris, now Orbis, or Orbe, in Lower Languedoc.

BÆTICA, a province of ancient Spain, so called from the famed river Betis, afterwards Tarifius, now Guadalquivir, or the great river. It was bounded on the west by Lusitania; on the south by the Mediterranean and Sinus Guadianus; on the north by the Cantabric sea, now the Bay of Biscay. On the east and north-east, its limits cannot be so well ascertained, as they are very reasonably thought to have been in a continual state of fluctuation, as each petty monarch had an opportunity of encroaching upon his neighbour. The province was divided in two by the river Baetis already mentioned. On the one side of which, towards the Anas, were situated the Turdetani, from whence the kingdom was called Turdetania, though more generally known by the name of Beturia. On the other side were situated the Baetuli, Baetastani, and Contellani, along the Mediterranean coasts. The Baetuli were supposed to be of Phoenician extract, and dwelt along the coasts of the Mediterranean, till driven from thence by the Moors, they fled into the mountainous parts of Galicia, which they then called from their own name Baetulia. The Baetastani were seated higher up, on the same coasts. The territories of both these made part of what has since become the kingdom of Granada; in which there is a ridge of very high mountains, called from the above-mentioned people the Baetean mountains. Mention is also made of their capital Baetania; a place of such strength, that King Ferdinand was six months besieging it before he could take it from the Moors.—The whole province of Betica, according to the most probable account, contained what is now called Andalusia, part of the kingdom of Grenada, and the outward boundaries of Extremadura.

BÆTIS. See Bætica.

BÆTUOLO, a town of ancient Spain, in the Terraconensis; now Badelona in Catalonia.

BÆTYLIA, anointed stones worshipped by the Phoenicians, by the Greeks before the time of Cecrops, and by other barbarous nations. They were commonly of a black colour, and consecrated to some god, as Saturn, Jupiter, the Sun, &c.—Some are of opinion that the true original of these idols is to be derived from the pillar of stone which Jacob erected at Bethel, and which was afterwards worshipped by the Jews.

These betylia were much the object of the veneration of the ancient heathens. Many of their idols were no other. In reality, no sort of idol was more common in the eastern countries than that of oblong stones erected, and hence termed by the Greeks xanx, pillars. In some parts of Egypt they were planted on both sides of the highways. In the temple of Heliogabalus, in Syria, there was one pretended to have fallen from heaven. There was also a famous black stone in Phrygia, said to have fallen from heaven. The Romans sent for it and the priests belonging to it with much ceremony, Scipio Nasika being at the head of the embassy.

BÆZA, a city of Andalusia in Spain, seated on a high hill three miles from the Guadalquivir; it is the see of a bishop, and has a kind of university founded by John d'Avila. It was taken from the Moors about the end of the 15th century. E. Long. 3° 15'. N. Lat. 37° 45'.