This volume opens with Arculf, a Gallican bishop and pilgrim-traveller whose seventh-century observations of the Near East became a standard guide-book for medieval pilgrims. It traces his journey from the Levant to Britain and his accounts of Alexandria, Constantinople, and the holy sites of Palestine.
Another prominent section covers the Persian royal name Ardashir, detailing the rise of Ardashir I., founder of the Sassanian empire. It describes his conquests over the Parthians, his revival of the national religion of Zoroaster, and his conflicts with Rome, noting how his history became overgrown with legends similar to those of Cyrus.
The volume continues with topographical and historical accounts of ancient and medieval cities. Ardea, the ancient town of the Rutuli in Latium, is detailed alongside its mythological associations with Aeneas and its decline during imperial times. Ardebil, the ancient Persian town in Azerbaijan, is described with its famous shrines and its transit trade between Russia and Persia.
Geographical surveys are provided for several regions, including the French department of Ardèche, formed from the Vivarais, detailing its mountainous surface, rivers, climate, and agricultural output. Ardee, an ancient market-town in Ireland, is traced through its history from early tribal conflicts to the wars of the seventeenth century.
Further historical and geographical entries include the Forest of Arden in Warwickshire, celebrated in Shakespeare's plays; the Ardennes district and department, covering its geology, forests, and industries; Ardglass in Ireland, noted for its Norman castles and herring fishery; and Arecibo, an active commercial port on the northern coast of Porto Rico.
Biographical entries record figures such as Luigi Arditi, the Italian musical composer and conductor, and the Aremberg family, whose German duchy played a prominent role in European history. Finally, the volume includes geographical descriptions of Arendal in Norway, Arequipa in Peru, and detailed entries on classical mythology regarding Ares and Argus.
