in Grammar, the insertion of a letter or syllable in the middle of a word; as altium for altum, induperator for imperator.

ÉPERIES, a royal free town of Hungary, capital of the county of Saros; on the Tarcaz, an affluent of the Theiss; 140 miles N.E. of Pesth. Pop. 8600. It is well built, and surrounded with walls, outside of which are extensive gardens. The public buildings include a Lutheran and several Roman Catholic churches, a synagogue, high schools, county and town halls, chapter-house, monastery, and orphan asylum. It is the seat of a Greek Catholic bishop, and has an episcopal library, and a prayer station called a Calvary, much resorted to by the religious. Éperies has manufactures of linen and woollen goods, earthenware, and beer; and a considerable trade in wine, corn, and cattle. In the vicinity are the royal Sovar salt-works, which annually produce about 5000 tons of salt.

ÉPERNAY (the ancient Aquae Perennes), a town of France, in the department of Marne, and capital of a cognominal arrondissement. It is situated near the left bank of the Marne, 20 miles W.N.W. of Chalons. Pop. (1851) 7386. This was formerly a place of some strength, but its fortifications have fallen into decay. The town is neat, clean, and tolerably well built. It is best known as being the principal entrepot for Champagne wines, which are kept here bottled in extensive vaults excavated in the sandstone on which the town is built.

EPEUNACTÆ, or EPEUNETAE, in Grecian Antiquity, were a class of Spartan citizens believed to have sprung from the union of the Helots with the widows of the Spartans who had fallen in the Messenian war. They seem to have been identical with the Partheniae: who, finding themselves excluded from the privileges which they believed their due, and clasped with Helots, conspired with them to make war on their oppressors. This unnatural war, however, was soon brought to a close; and the Partheniae emigrated in a body under the command of Phalanthus to Italy, where they founded Tarentum.