Selection of the final material was most arduous, but the entire governing aim is to present as well-rounded a picture of the early days of the Atreides Imperium as possible. I would like to acknowledge the specific contributions made to The Dune Encyclopedia by Gweteder Miiarz and Kriteen Gwuutan, whose labors were singularly devoted. Professors Gwilit Mignail and Zhauzaf Kluursh contributed many hours to the book. Poet Rebeth Vreeb and her husband Rebeth Farnark were instrumental in helping sort out some of the voluminous material found in the Hoard and both gave unstintingly of their time and advice. In addition my husband Zhenaweev Benotto was both patient and long-sufiFering. I owe him more than words can say. All of these people caught many errors that would otherwise have crept into the pages of The Dune Encyclopedia, but final responsibility for the text must ultimately be my own. HADI BENOTTO, Editor 15540 A CHRONOLOGY OF SOME IMPORTANT EVENTS IN HUMAN HISTORY BEFORE GUILD 19000-16500 Early civilizations on Terra. 16500 Aleksandr creates FIRST EMPIRE 16400-16000 ROMAN EMPIRE arises and conquers the known world, except for China, which resists until 14400. 15800 Imperial Seat moved to Byzantium in retreat before provincial rebellions and minor jihads. 14700-14608 THE GREAT STRUGGLE: The Century Without an Emperor. 14608 Discoveries in America allow Madrid to attain the status of the Imperial Seat, 14512 BATTLE OF ENOLICHANNEL. Seat of Empire moved from Madrid to London. 14500-14200 THE GOLDEN AGE OF INVENTION- Development of radio, television, atomics, rocketry, genetics, and the computer. ' 14255 first atomics demonstrated in an intraprovmcia! wai. Seat of Empire moved to Washington. 14100-13600 THE LITTLE DIASPORA: The solar system is colonized, and the population of Terra is eventually outnumbered by 20 to 1. 13402 Ceres gains the imperial Seat after a planetoid strikes Terra. 13402-13399 THE RESCUE OF THE TREASURES from Terra 13360 Terra re-seeded and set aside (by Imperial edict) as a natural park. 13004 SUSPENSOR-NULLIFICATION EFFECT discovered. 12200 THE EMPIRE OF TEN WORLDS. Communications becoming strained. 11200 THE EMPIRE OF A THOUSAND WORLDS (an empire in name only, because Imperial power was so diffuse as to be nonexistent). 11105 AGE OF PRETENDERS begins when Ceres is destroyed by rebellion, and the Imperial Seat ceases to exist as a single entity. 11100-7562 THE AGE OF TEN THOUSAND EMPERORS (sometimes called "The Great Dark Ages"). 7593 I.V. Holtzman born on Liesco n. 7565 Holtzman disabled and cyborged. 7562 Holtzman reveals the "wave-effect" nature of the suspensor- nullification device.