page_title: List of cultural references in the Divine Comedy
section_title: A
hierarchical_section_title: List of cultural references in the Divine Comedy / A
context_page_description: The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri is a long allegorical poem in three parts: the Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso, and 100 cantos, with the Inferno having 34, Purgatorio having 33, and Paradiso having 33 cantos. Set at Easter 1300, the poem describes the living poet's journey through hell, purgatory, and paradise.
  Throughout the poem, Dante refers to people and events from Classical and Biblical history and mythology, the history of Christianity, and the Europe of the Medieval period up to and including his own day. A knowledge of at least the most important of these references can aid in understanding the poem fully.
  For ease of reference, the cantica names are abbreviated to Inf., Purg., and Par. Roman numerals are used to identify cantos and Arabic numerals to identify lines. This means that Inf. X, 123 refers to line 123 in Canto X of the Inferno and Par. XXV, 27 refers to line 27 in Canto XXV of the Paradiso. The line numbers refer to the original Italian text.
  Boldface links indicate that the word or phrase has an entry in the list. Following that link will present that entry.
context_section_description: Abbagliato: See Spendthrift Club.
  Abel: Biblical second son of Adam and brother of Cain.
  Raised by Jesus from Limbo into Paradise. Inf. IV, 56.
  Abraham the Patriarch: Important biblical figure.
  Raised by Jesus from Limbo into Paradise. Inf. IV, 58.
  Absalom and Ahithophel: Absalom was the rebellious son of King David who was incited by Ahithophel, the king's councilor.
  Bertran de Born compares his fomenting with the "malicious urgings" of Ahithophel. Inf. XXVIII, 136–138.
  Achan: Ancient Israelite who stole from Jericho during Joshua's conquest. He was stoned to death for the theft. (Joshua 7:1–26)
  Cited by souls on the terrace of the greedy as an example of greed. Purg. XX, 109–111.
  Acheron: The mythological Greek underworld river over which Charon ferried souls of the newly dead into Hades.
  The "melancholy shore" encountered. Inf. III, 71–78.
  Formed from the tears of the statue of the Old Man of Crete. Inf. XIV, 94–116.
  Achilles: The greatest Greek hero in the Trojan War. An account well known in the Middle Ages has him killed by Paris after having been lured with the promise of Priam's daughter Polyxena.
  Found amongst the sexual sinners. Inf. V, 65.
  Remembered by Virgil for having been educated by Chiron. Inf. XII, 71.
  His abandonment of Deidamia and his only son, at the urging of Ulysses, to go to the war against Troy. Inf. XXVI, 61–62.
  Statius identifies himself in Purgatory as the author of the Achilleid, an unfinished epic poem on the life of Achilles. Purg. XXI, 92.
  Acre: Ancient city in Western Galilee, it was the last Christian possession in the Holy Land, finally lost in 1291. Inf. XXVII, 86.
  "Ad vocem tanti senis" ("To the voice of such a great elder")
  Latin line used to maintain the rhyme scheme with neighboring Latin quotations. Purg. XXX, 18.
  Adam: According to the Bible, the first man created by God.
  His "evil seed". Inf. III, 115–117.
  Our "first parent", raised by Jesus from Limbo into Paradise. Inf. IV, 55.
  Dante sees the tree in the Garden of Eden which caused the fall of Adam and Eve. (See Genesis 3.) Purg. XXXII, 37–39.
  Adam of Brescia: See Master Adam.
  "Adhaesit pavimento anima mea": ("My soul cleaveth unto the dust.") (Psalm 119:25; 118:25 in the Vulgate.)
  Recited penitentially by prostrate souls on the terrace of greed in Purgatory. Purg. XIX, 73.
  Aegina: A Greek island between Attica and Argolis in the Saronic Gulf. According to tradition it was named by its ruler Aeacus—son of Zeus and Aegina, daughter of the river-god Asopus—after his mother. In Ovid's Metamorphoses (VII, 501–660), Aeacus, tells of a terrible plague inflicted by a jealous Juno (Hera), killing everyone on the island but Aeacus; and how he begged Jupiter (Zeus) to give him back his people or take his life as well. Jupiter then turned the islands ants into a race of men called the Myrmidons, some of whom Achilles ultimately led to war against Troy.
  "… all Aegina's people sick … when the air was so infected … received their health again through seed of ants.", compared with "the spirits languishing in scattered heaps" of the tenth Malebolge. Inf. XXIX, 58–65.
  Aeneas: Hero of Virgil's epic poem Aeneid, his descent into hell is a primary source for Dante's own journey.
  Son of Anchises, fled the fall of Troy. Inf. I, 74–75.
  "Father of Sylvius", journey to Hades, founder of Rome. Inf. II, 13–27.
  When Dante doubts he has the qualities for his great voyage, he tells Virgil "I am no Aeneas, no Paul". Inf. II, 32
  Seen in Limbo. Inf. IV, 122.
  "Rome's noble seed". Inf. XXVI. 60.
  Founder of Gaeta. Inf. XXVI, 93.
  Aeolus: Ruler of the winds in ancient Greek mythology. Purg. XXVIII, 21.
  Aesop: A semi-legendary Greek fabulist of whom little reliable is known. A famous corpus of fables is traditionally assigned to him.
  His fable of the Frog and the mouse is mentioned. Inf. XXIII, 4–6.
  Africanus: Agnomen of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (236–183 BCE), the Roman general who defeated the Carthaginian general Hannibal in the Second Punic War.
  His triumphant reception in Rome mentioned. Purg. XXIX, 116.
  Agathon: Greek poet of the 5th century BCE.
  Re
caption: Aeneas flees burning Troy, Federico Barocci, 1598 Galleria Borghese, Rome
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