E
- Eagle: Bird which appeared on the Standard of the Roman Legions and symbolized the authority of the empire.
- An eagle appears twice in the Pageant of Church History. It first represents the persecution of the early Church by the Roman Empire. Purg. XXXII, 109–117. Then it returns, representing connection of the Church and Empire starting with the Emperor Constantine I. Purg. XXXII, 124–129.
- Ebro: River in Spain.
- Used as a reference to the time of day. Dante considered it to be 6 hours ahead of Purgatory. Purg. XXVII, 2–3.
- Ecce ancilla Dei: "Behold the handmaid of God." (In the original Vulgate: "Ecce ancilla Domini.") Response of the Virgin Mary to the angel Gabriel when he announced that she would be the mother of Jesus.
- Words seen in a wall-carving depicting the Annunciation. It is a visual representation of humility. Purg. X, 44.
- Electra: Mother of Dardanus founder of Troy and ancestor of Aeneas.
- Seen in Limbo with "her many comrades". Inf. IV, 121–8.
- Elijah and Elisha: Elijah was an Old Testament Biblical Prophet who ascends into heaven in a chariot of fire, and Elisha was his disciple and chosen successor who witnessed Elijah's ascent. Elisha curses some youths for ridiculing him, who are then eaten by bears (2 KIngs 2:23–24; 11–2)
- Elijah's fiery ascent, as witnessed by "he who was avenged by bears" (Elisha), is described. Inf. XXVI, 34–9.
- Empedocles (c. 490 BCE–c. 430 BCE): Greek Presocratic philosopher.
- Encountered by Dante in Limbo. Inf. IV, 138.
- Ephialtes: Son of Poseidon and Iphimedeia, Ephialtes was a giant who attempted to scale Mt. Olympus by piling mountains on each other.
- Seen chained in the "Well of the Giants." Inf. XXXI, 82–111.
- Epicurus was an Ancient Greek philosopher who was the founder of Epicureanism, one of the most popular schools of Hellenistic Philosophy, which had many followers among Florentine Guibellines. His teaching that the greatest pleasure is merely the absence of pain was viewed as heresy in Dante's day because this greatest good could be attained without reference to a god or an afterlife.
- Epicurean heretics and their punishment. Inf. X.
- Erard de Valéry: See Tagliacozzo.
- Erichtho: According to a story in Lucan's Pharsalia, she was a sorceress sent to the underworld by Sextus Pompeius to divine the outcome of the upcoming battle of Pharsalia between his father, Pompey the Great, and Julius Caesar.
- She sent Virgil to the innermost circle of hell not long after his death. Inf. IX, 22–29.
- Erinyes: (also known as the Furies). In Greek mythology, they were Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone, three female personifications of vengeance.
- They appear and threaten Dante with the head of the Medusa. Inf. IX, 34–72.
- Erysichthon: Ancient King of Thessaly who cut down a grove of trees sacred to Demeter. Her revenge was to give him insatiable hunger which eventually caused him to consume his own flesh.
- Seeing fasting souls in Purgatory on the terrace of the gluttonous, Dante is reminded of Erysichthon's story. Purg. XXIII, 25–27.
- Eteocles and Polynices: Mythical sons of Oedipus and Jocasta, they succeeded their father as kings of Thebes. Eteocles' refusal to share the throne led to the war of the Seven against Thebes, in which the two brothers killed each other. Their enmity in life was such that Statius (Thebais XII, 429 ff.) says even the flames of their shared funeral pyre were divided.
- The separateness of the flames of Ulysses and Diomedes are compared to their funeral flames. Inf. XXVI, 52–4.
- Euclid (c. 365 BCE–275 BCE): Greek mathematician, now known as "the father of geometry".
- Encountered by Dante in Limbo. Inf. IV, 142.
- Eunoe: River originating in Terrestrial Paradise which shares a common source with the River Lethe. To drink from the Eunoe is to recall to memory all the good deeds of one's life after losing all memory in the River Lethe.
- Not found in classical sources, the Eunoe is a creation of Dante. The word means "good knowledge" in Greek. Purg. XXXIII, 127–145.
- Euripides: Greek playwright of the 5th cent. B.C.E.
- Resident of Limbo. Purg. XXII, 106.
- Euryalus: Friend of Nisus, he is a Roman mythological who appears in the Aeneid—one of those who "died for Italy". Inf. I, 106–8
- Eurypylus: Mythical son of Telephus, he was a member of the Greek army that conquered Troy. It is told that while the fleet was at Aulis he was sent to the Delphic Sibyl to ask for a favourable wind.
- Seen among the seers, with Calchas, he "set the time to cut the cables". Inf. XX, 106–13.
- Ezekiel: Jewish Prophet and author of a book of the Old Testament.
- The four beasts of his vision (Ezekiel 1:1-28) appear as allegories of the four Gospels in the Pageant of the Church Triumphant. Purg. XXIX, 100–102.
- Ezzelino da Romano III (1194–1259): Leader of the Ghibellines in Northern Italy, known for his cruelties against the citizens of Padua.
- Pointed out by Nessus. Inf. XII, 109.
Read more about this topic: List Of Cultural References In Divine Comedy