NICE, or NICJEA, formerly a city of Bithynia, in Asia Minor, situated on the eastern shore of lake A scania. It was built, or rather rebuilt (for an olden town had existed on its site), by Antigomis, the son of Philip (316 n.c.), and received the name of Antigoneia, which Lysimachus changed to Nicxa, in honor of his wife. It was a handsome town, and of great importance in the time of the Roman and Byzantine emperors; all the streets crossed each other at right anTles,and from ,a magnificent monument in the center the foil• gates It' is latriens in for two councils held in it—the first and seventh ecumenical councils. The FIRST Consort. of Nice was held 325 A.D., and was convened by the emperor Constantine, in concert, according to Roman Catholic btstorians, with the Roman pontiff, for the purpose of defining the questions raised in the Arian (q.v.) controversy. The details of the proceed ings, so far as regards Arius, will be found in that article. The supporters of Arius at first are said to have numbered upwards of twenty; but ultimately the decree condemn ing him was subscribed by the whole body of the council, the number of dissentients being, according to the highest computation, only five, while the most probable account reduces it to two. The NICENE CREED adopted in this council forms the subject of a separate article. In addition to the Arian question the council of Nice also deliberated on a schism, called the Meletian schism, which at that time divided the church of Egypt, and the particulars of which have formed a subject of recent controversy. The decree of Nice appears to have been founded on a compromise. but did not effectually suppress the schism. The decree of Nice on the celebration of Easter was of wider application, and met with universal acceptance, the few recusants being thenceforward called quarto decimans (q.v.). This council also enacted twenty canons of discipline. For a minute and picturesque description of this council see Dean Stanley's History of the Eastern. SECOND COUNCIL OF NICE, called also the seventh ecumenical council, was assembled under the empress Irene (r8'7), who was regent during the minority of her son Constantine, for the purpose of reconsidering the subject of images. The tenor of the decree on images is detailed under that head. In the west the question of the acceptation of this council was the subject of considerable controversy, arising, in great measure, from a grossly erroneous Latin translation of the acts, which for a time obtained extensive circulation.
NICE (Ital. Nizza), chief town, since 1860, of the department of the Alpes Maritimes, France, is situated on both sides of the river Paglione, 100 rn. s.s.w. of Turin, and about the same distance e.n.e. of Marseilles. Pop. '72, 42,363; '76, 46,6S3. It consists of throe principal parts—the Qoartier de la Croix de Harbre, or _New Iowa (on the right bank of the Paglione), the Old Town, and the Port. The first of these is much frequented by for
eigners, particularly English (whence its name of "English town"). It is close upon the river, has a handsome quay filled with gay shops, and a splendid square called the Jardin public. Two bridges over the Paglione connect it with the old or upper town, which extends back to the foot of a hill called the Castle hill. The old town is excessively dirty, and has narrow, stinking streets, with macaroni and confectionery shops, grocery estab lishments, slaughter-houses, etc. The port, almost separated from it by the Castle hill, is crowded with a seafaring population. The harbor admits vessels drawing 15 ft. of water, but it is difficult of entrance. The Castle hill, an isolated mass of limestone 800 ft. high, receiving its name from having been crowned by a strong castle, now in ruins, is laid out in public gardens, and affords an extensive and splendid prospect out to sea. The chief public buildings are in the Corso, or in. the adjoining streets, in one of which there is an English library and reading-room. There is an Episcopalian, and also a Presbyterian church in Nice, and an English cemetery. The most attractive promenade in the old town is the Terrace, from 15 to 20 ft. high, erected as a protection to the town against a stormy sea. But the most agreeable arid fashionable drive and promenade is the Promenade des Anylais, extending for a mile along the shore from the right bank of the Paglione, and skirted on one side by elegant villas and hotels. Beggars are numer ous, owing, doubtless, to the great influx of visitors. Fine as the usual winter and spring weather of Nice is, it is exposed to the n. winds, or mistral, which during these seasons of ten brings a temperature which in England would be considered cool, or even cold, in April or October. The Quartier atrabacel is the most sheltered part of the place, and therefore the best for an invalid. Dust and bad drainage are the drawbacks to the amenity of Nice; but this is true with regard to most of the places of winter resort in the south. The mean January and February temperature is 47°, equal to that of April in England; March is April 58°, about the same as June in England, or July in Scotland: The ancient Ligurian town of Niczea, founded, it is said, by a colony of Phocreans from Massalia (Marseilles), became subject to Rome in the 2d c. B.C. It probably occu pied the Castle hill, rather than the site of the present city. Subsequently it passed into the hands of the Goths, Burguudians,Visigoths, kings and counts of Arles, the Angevine sovereigns of Naples, and the dukes of Savoy (1388), in whose family it remained till 1860, when it was ceded to France.