page_title: List of cultural references in the Divine Comedy
section_title: D
hierarchical_section_title: List of cultural references in the Divine Comedy / D
caption_attribution_description: Español: La obra representa un auto de fe presidido por Santo Domingo de Guzmán, fundador de la Orden de los dominicos.English: Saint Dominic presiding over an Auto-da-fe. From the sacristy of the Santo Tomás church in Ávila.
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: Daedalus: In Greek mythology, he was a legendary inventor and craftsman. He designed the Labyrinth, and fashioned wings for himself and his son Icarus, enabling them to fly.
  Mentioned by Griffolino of Arezzo. Inf. XXIX, 116.
  Daniel: Protagonist in the Book of Daniel of the Hebrew Bible. He and his companions fasted rather than incur ritual defilement when they ate in the court of the king of Babylon.
  A voice in Purgatory cites Daniel as an example in the virtue of temperance. Purg. XXII, 146–147.
  Dante compares Beatrice's solution of his mental doubts to Daniel's solution of Nebuchadnezzar's troubled dream in the biblical book of Daniel.  Par. IV, 13–15.
  Bonturo Dati (died 1324): Head of the popular faction in Lucca, he expelled his enemies in 1308 assuming the government of the city, boasting he would put an end to barratry. He is famous for provoking with his jeers in 1313 a war with Pisa, that has been remembered in Faida di Comune by Giosuè Carducci.
  Sarcastically and ironically said that all Luccans but he are guilty of barratry. Inf. XXI, 41.
  King David: Biblical king of the Jews. His counselor Ahithophel, incited David's son Absalom against him.
  Raised by Jesus from Limbo into Paradise. Inf. IV, 58.
  His son's rebellion, and the urgings of Ahithophel is compared by Bertran de Born to his own urgings of Prince Henry against his father Henry II of England. Inf. XXVIII, 134–138.
  Appears depicted in a wall carving as the "humble psalmist," leading the procession of the Ark to Jerusalem. Purg. X, 64.
  Decii: Three generations of men in a Patrician Roman family, who each answered the call to arms and died in battle.
  Mentioned as exemplars of Roman virtue in the days of the Roman Republic. Par. VI, 47.
  Deianira: Wife of Heracles, she was abducted by the centaur Nessus, but Heracles shot him with a poisoned arrow. She was tricked by the dying Nessus into believing that a love potion could be made from his blood, which she later gives to Heracles poisoning him. Inf. XII, 68.
  Deidamia: Mythical daughter of Lycomedes, king of Scyros, she gave birth to Achilles' only son, Pyrrhus Neoptolemus, but died of grief when, because of the urgings of Odysseus (Ulysses), Achilles left her to go to the war against Troy.
  Even dead she laments Achilles still. Inf. XXVI, 61–62.
  Resident of Limbo.  Purg. XXII, 113.
  Deipyle: Ancient Greek wife of Tydeus and mother of Diomedes.
  Resident of Limbo. Purg. XXII, 110.
  "Delectasti": ("Quia delectasti me, Domine, in factura tua": "For thou hast given me, O Lord, a delight in thy doings.") Psalm 92:5 (91:5 in the Latin Vulgate)
  Quoted by Matilda as the reason she smiled broadly at Dante in Terrestrial Paradise. Purg. XXVIII, 76–81.
  Democritus (c. 460–370 BCE): Pre-Socratic Greek philosopher.
  Encountered by Dante in Limbo, "che 'l mondo a caso pone" ("who ascribes the world to chance"). Inf. IV, 136.
  "Deus, venerunt gentes": ("O God, the heathen have come.") Incipit of Psalm 79 (Psalm 78 in the Vulgate)
  Chanted as a lamentation over the Church by the women representing the Three Theological Virtues and Cardinal Virtues. Purg. XXXIII, 1–6.
  Diana: Greco-Roman goddess, known as the "virgin goddess."
  Cited as an example of sexual abstinence by souls on the terrace of the lustful. Purg. XXV, 130–132.
  Dido: Queen of Carthage. In Virgil's Aeneid, she becomes the lover of Aeneas despite a vow of eternal fidelity to her dead husband Sichaeus. Consequently, as "colei, che s' ancise amorosa" (she who killed herself from love"), Dante places her amongst the sexual sinners. Inf. V, 61–62.
  Diogenes of Sinope (c. 412–323 BCE): Greek philosopher.
  Encountered by Dante in Limbo. Inf. IV, 137.
  Diomedes: Mythical king of Argus, he participated in the expedition against Troy, where his prowess is extolled in the Iliad. A great friend of Odysseus (Ulysses), he was his companion in many feats, most notably the theft of Troy's Palladium and the ruse of the Trojan Horse.
  Among the advisors of fraud, he is punished with Ulysses for the sins they both committed at Troy. Inf. XXVI, 52–63.
  Dionysius the Areopagite (fl. c. 50): Athe
caption: Saint Dominic presiding over an auto de fe, Pedro Berruguete, 1475
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