PARTICIPLE 131 PARTRIDGE ful state, the empire of Parthia was made up of conquered kingdoms, extend- ing from the Caucasus in the N. to the Erythraean Sea in the S., and from the Indus in the E. to the Tigris in the W. The Parthians, originally an offshoot iTom the Scythians, were noted for their love of war and martial glory; they were the most celebrated horsemen in the world, and excellent marksmen with the bow and arrow. The Parthians be- came subject to Persia; and their coun- try, with Sogdiana and some other states, was formed into a province called a satrapy. When Alexander conquered Persia, he united Parthia and Hyrcania into one satrapy. After the dissolution of the Greek empire, the country became subject to Eumenes; next, to Antigones W. of the city of that name. It is in a corn and fruit producing region and there are also important industries, in- cluding the manufacture of wine, linen and woolen goods. Pop. about 25,000. PARTNERSHIP, the state or condi- tion of being a partner, associate, or participator with another; joint interest. An association of two or more persons for the carrying on of any commercial, manufacturing, or other business under- taking, occupation, or calling; or a volun- tary, verbal or written contract between two or more persons to joint together their money, labor, goods, skill, etc or all or any of them, for the prosecution of any business or undertaking upon the understanding that the profits or losses PARTHENON and the Seleucidae — ^the Syrian kings — till 256 B. c. when the Parthians estab- lished their independence under Arsaces I., from whom all their succeeding mon- archs received the name of Arsacidse. Under this dynasty, the empire extended from the Indus to the Euphrates, and from the Oxus in the N. to the Persian Gulf in the S. This empire lasted for about 480 years, when the last king, Artabanus, was murdered by Artaxerxes, who, usurping the throne, founded the new Persian empire, called the Sas- sanidas. PARTICIPLE, a part of speech, so called because it partakes of the nature both of a verb and an adjective. A par- ticiple differs from an adjective in that it implies the relation of time, and there- fore is applied to a specific act, while the adjective denotes only an attribute as a quality or characteristic without regard to time. PARTINICO, a town of Sicily in the province of Palermo, about 14 miles S. shall be divided between them in propor- tion to the amount of capital, stock, labor, etc., supplied by each partner. PARTON, JAMES, an American writer; born in Canterbury, England, Feb. 9, 1822. He wrote many valuable biographies, as : "Life of Horace Gree- ley" (1885); "Life and Times of Aaron Burr" (1857) ; "Life and Times of Ben- jamin Franklin" (1864) ; "Famous Americans of Recent Times" (1870) ; "Life of Thomas Jefferson" (1874) ; "Life of Voltaire" (1881). Among his other works are: "Humorous Poetry of the English Language" (1857) ; "Cari- cature in all Times and Lands" (1875). He died in Newburj^jort, Mass., Oct. 17, 1891. PARTRIDGE, the genus Perdix, and especially P. cinerea, the common or gray partridge, a well-known game bird widely distributed in Europe. General tone of plumage brown; neck and upper part of the breast, sides, and flanks bluish gray, freckled with dark gray,
