AMARI, a-mii're, MICHELE ( 1806-89). An Italian historian and Orientalist. He was born at Palermo. At the age of sixteen he entered a government office, and soon after ward—his father being condemned to thirty years' imprisonment for a political crime— the duty of supporting his mother and the other members of the family devolved upon him. He succeeded, nevertheless, in acquiring an education, learned French and English, and pub lished a translation of Mara/ion in 1832. In 1837 he removed to Naples. in 1S41 appeared his masterpiece, La Guerra dcl Vespro Sicilia no (The War of the Sicilian Vespers), in which the author overthrow's the prevalent notion, estab lished by Villani, of the cause of the famous mas sacre of 1282. The book was quickly prohibited, and, as a consequence. widely read. It was translated into German by Dr. Schrlider, of Hildesheim, and into English by Lord Ellesmere. Dreading punishment at Naples. Ainari fled to France, where he gave himself up to the study of Arabic and modern Greek, and to the prepara tion of his Sto•ia dei .1Iusulvtnri di Sicilia
(1854-68). Upon the outbreak of the revolution of 1848, he returned to Italy, and shortly after his arrival was elected vice-president of the committee of war in Sicily. He was next sent on a diplomatic mission by the provisional government to France aim England. In 1849 he published at Paris La Sicily ct les Bour bons, to show up the pretensions of the Neapoli tan sovereign. After the Sicilian insurrection had been quelled, Aniari took up his residence in Paris, where he devoted himself to literary pur suits till 1859, when he returned to Italy, fight ing the following year under Garibaldi. He was made senator in 1861, and in 1862-64 was minis ter of instruction. He resigned his professorship at Florence in 1878 and removed to Home, where he continued his historical studies. He died July 16, 1SS9. Other writings of Amari are upon the language and history of the Arabs. in the Revue the Journal Asiatique, etc.