Flashcards: Characters in Dante's Divine Comedy

In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (/æɡəˈmɛmnɒn/; Greek: Ἀγαμέμνων from *Ἀγαμέδμων [from ἄγαν, "very much" and μέδομαι, "think on"], "very steadfast") was the son of King Atreus and Queen Aerope of Mycenae, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of Clytemnestra and the father of Iphigenia, Electra or Laodike (Λαοδίκη), Orestes and Chrysothemis.

In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon (/ˈkɛərɒn/ or /ˈkɛərən/; Greek Χάρων) is the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead.

Myrrha (Greek: Μύρρα), also known as Smyrna (Greek: Σμύρνα), is the mother of Adonis in Greek mythology.

Petrus Comestor, also known as Pierre le Mangeur – both names, respectively, the Latin and French for "Peter the Devourer" (of knowledge) – was a twelfth-century French theological writer and university administrator who died around 1178.

Pope Nicholas III (Latin: Nicolaus III; c. 1225 – 22 August 1280), born Giovanni Gaetano Orsini, was Pope from 25 November 1277 to his death in 1280.

Aelius Donatus (English pronunciation: /doʊˈneɪtəs/; fl. mid-4th century AD) was a Roman grammarian and teacher of rhetoric.

Rabanus Maurus Magnentius (c. 780 – 4 February 856), also known as Hrabanus or Rhabanus, was a Frankish Benedictine monk and theologian who became archbishop of Mainz in Germany.

In Greek mythology, Chiron (pronounced KY-rən /ˈkaɪrən/; also Cheiron or Kheiron; Greek: Χείρων "hand") was held to be the superlative centaur amongst his brethren.

In Greek mythology Minos (/ˈmaɪnɒs/ or /ˈmaɪnəs/; Greek: Μίνως, Minōs) was the first King of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa.

Beatrice "Bice" di Folco Portinari (pronounced Italian: [be.aˈtriːtʃe], 1266–1290) was a Florentine woman who has been commonly identified as the principal inspiration for Dante Alighieri's Vita Nuova, and is also commonly identified with the Beatrice who appears as one of his guides in the Divine Comedy (La Divina Commedia) in the last book, Paradiso, and in the last four cantos of Purgatorio.

Saint Peter Damian (Latin: Petrus Damianus; Italian: Pietro or Pier Damiani; c. 1007 – 21 or 22 February 1072 or 1073) was a reforming Benedictine monk and cardinal in the circle of Pope Leo IX.

Peter Lombard, Peter the Lombard, Pierre Lombard or Petrus Lombardus, (c. 1096, Novara, Lombardy – 21/22 July 1160, Paris, France) was a scholastic theologian, Bishop of Paris, and author of Four Books of Sentences, which became the standard textbook of theology, for which he earned the accolade Magister Sententiarum.

Hugh of Saint Victor, C.

In Roman mythology, Cacus was a fire-breathing giant and the son of Vulcan.

Semiramis (Assyrian;ܫܲܡܝܼܪܵܡ Shamiram, /sɛˈmɪrəməs/; Greek: Σεμίραμις, Armenian: Շամիրամ Shamiram) was the legendary wife of King Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-12) (NIV) 8 Cush was the father of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth.

In Greek mythology, the Minotaur (/ˈmaɪnətɔː/, /ˈmɪnəˌtɔːr/; Ancient Greek: Μῑνώταυρος [miːnɔ̌ːtau̯ros], Latin: Minotaurus, Etruscan: Θevrumineś) was a creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "part man and part bull".

Pope Clement V (Latin: Clemens V; c. 1264 – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled de Guoth and de Goth), was Pope from 5 June 1305 to his death in 1314.

Saint Isidore of Seville (Latin: Isidorus Hispalensis; c. 560 – 4 April 636), a scholar and, for over three decades, Archbishop of Seville, is widely regarded as the last of the Fathers of the Church, as the 19th-century historian Montalembert put it in an oft-quoted phrase, "The last scholar of the ancient world.

In Greek mythology and Roman mythology, a harpy (plural harpies, Greek: ἅρπυια, harpyia, pronounced [hárpyi̯a]; Latin: harpȳia) was a female monster in the form of a bird with a human face.

Lucifer (/ˈluːsɪfər/; LOO-sif-ər) is the King James Version rendering of the Hebrew word הֵילֵל in Isaiah 14:12.

Cornelia Scipionis Africana (c. 190 – c. 100 BC) was the second daughter of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, the hero of the Second Punic War, and Aemilia Paulla.

Benedict of Nursia (Latin: Benedictus de Nursia; Italian: Benedetto da Norcia; Vulgar Latin: *Benedicto; c. 480 – 543 or 547 AD) is a Christian saint, who is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Catholic Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Anglican Communion and Old Catholic Churches.

Fra Dolcino (c. 1250 – 1307) was the second leader of the Dulcinian reformist movement who was burned at the stake in Northern Italy in 1307.

In Greek mythology, Tiresias (/taɪˈriːsiəs/; Greek: Τειρεσίας, Teiresias) was a blind prophet of Apollo in Thebes, famous for clairvoyance and for being transformed into a woman for seven years.

Pope Anastasius II (died 19 November 498) was Pope from 24 November 496 to his death in 498.

Pope Boniface VIII (Latin: Bonifatius VIII; c. 1230 – 11 October 1303), born Benedetto Caetani, was Pope from 24 December 1294 to his death in 1303.

In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy (Greek Ἑλένη Helénē, pronounced [helénɛː]), also known as Helen of Sparta, or simply Helen, was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, and was a sister of Castor, Pollux, and Clytemnestra.

Paris (Ancient Greek: Πάρις), also known as Alexander (Ἀλέξανδρος, Aléxandros), the son of Priam and Hecuba, the king and queen of Troy, appears in a number of Greek legends.

Pope John XXI (Latin: Ioannes XXI; c. 1215 – 20 May 1277), born Peter Juliani (Latin: Petrus Iulianus; Portuguese: Pedro Julião), was Pope from 8 September 1276 to his death in 1277.

Orpheus (/ˈɔːrfiəs, ˈɔːrfjuːs/; Greek: Ὀρφεύς) was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth.

In Greek mythology, Iphigenia (/ɪfᵻdʒᵻˈnaɪ.ə/; Ancient Greek: Ἰφιγένεια, Iphigeneia) was a daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, and thus a princess of Argos.

Joachim of Fiore, also known as Joachim of Flora and in Italian Gioacchino da Fiore (c. 1135 – 30 March 1202), was an Italian theologian and the founder of the monastic order of San Giovanni in Fiore.

Diomedes (/ˌdaɪəˈmiːdiːz/ or /ˌdaɪˈɒmɪdiːz/) or Diomede (/ˈdaɪəmiːd/; Greek: Διομήδης Diomēdēs "God-like cunning, advised by Zeus") is a hero in Greek mythology, known for his participation in the Trojan War.

Thaïs (Greek: Θαΐς) was a famous Greek hetaera who lived during the time of Alexander the Great and accompanied him on his campaigns.

(This article is about a mythological figure. For other uses, see Antaeus (disambiguation).) Antaeus (Greek: Ἀνταῖος, Antaîos, lit. "Opponent"; Berber: Änti) was a figure in Greek and Berber mythology.

Farinata degli Uberti (Florence, 1212 – Florence, November 11, 1264), real name Manente degli Uberti, was an Italian aristocrat and military leader, considered by some of his contemporaries to be a heretic.

John Chrysostom (/ˈkrɪsəstəm, krɪˈsɒstəm/; Greek: Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος), c.

Saint Bonaventure (Italian: San Bonaventura; 1221 – 15 July 1274), born Giovanni di Fidanza, was an Italian medieval Franciscan, scholastic theologian and philosopher.

Anselm of Canterbury (Latin: Anselmus Cantuariensis; c. 1033 – 21 April 1109), also called Anselm of Aosta (Italian: Anselmo d'Aosta) after his birthplace and Anselm of Bec (French: Anselme du Bec) after his monastery, was a Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher and theologian of the Catholic Church, who held the office of archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109.

Pope Celestine V (Latin: Caelestinus V; 1215 – 19 May 1296), born Pietro Angelerio (according to some sources Angelario, Angelieri, Angelliero, or Angeleri), also known as Pietro da Morrone, Peter of Morrone, and Peter Celestine, was Pope for five months from 5 July to 13 December 1294, when he resigned.

In Greek mythology, Achilles (/əˈkɪliːz/; Ancient Greek: Ἀχιλλεύς, Akhilleus, pronounced [akʰilːéu̯s]) was a Greek hero of the Trojan War and the central character and greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.

Adam (Hebrew: אָדָם‎‎; Greek: Αδάμ Aramaic/Syriac: ܐܕܡ; Arabic: آدم‎‎) is a figure from the Book of Genesis who is also mentioned in the New Testament, the deuterocanonical books, the Quran, the Book of Mormon, and the Book of Iqan.

In Greek mythology, Hector (Ἕκτωρ Hektōr, pronounced [héktɔːr]) was a Trojan prince and the greatest fighter for Troy in the Trojan War.

Siger of Brabant (Sigerus, Sighier, Sigieri or Sygerius de Brabantia; c. 1240 – before 10 November 1284) was a 13th-century philosopher from the southern Low Countries who was an important proponent of Averroism.

St Thomas Aquinas O.

Gaius Cassius Longinus (Classical Latin: [ˈgaː.i.ʊs ˈkas.si.ʊs ˈlɔŋ.gɪ.nʊs]; October 3, before 85 BC – October 3, 42 BC) was a Roman senator, a leading instigator of the plot to kill Julius Caesar, and the brother in-law of Marcus Junius Brutus.

Cunizza da Romano (born c. 1198) was an Italian noblewoman, the third daughter of Ezzelino II da Romano and Adelaide di Mangona, and sister to Ezzelino III and Alberico da Romano.

John the Baptist (Ancient Greek: Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστής, Ioánnes (h)o vaptistés or Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτίζων, Ioánnes (h)o vaptízon, known as the prophet Yahya in the Quran), also known as John the Baptizer, was a Jewish itinerant preacher in the early first century AD.

Antenor (Greek: Ἀντήνωρ, Antḗnōr) was a counselor to King Priam of Troy in the legendary Greek accounts of the Trojan War.

In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas (/ᵻˈniːəs/; Greek: Αἰνείας, Aineías, possibly derived from Greek αἰνή meaning "praised") was a Trojan hero, the son of the prince Anchises and the goddess Venus (Aphrodite).

Phlegyas /ˈflɛdʒiəs/ (Greek: Φλεγύας), son of Ares and Chryse or Dotis, was king of the Lapiths in Greek mythology.

In Greek mythology, Capaneus (Greek: Καπανεύς) was a son of Hipponous and either Astynome (daughter of Talaus) or Laodice (daughter of Iphis), and husband of Evadne, with whom he fathered Sthenelus.

In Greek mythology, Geryon (/ˈdʒɪəriən/ or /ˈɡɛriən/; also Geryone; Greek: Γηρυών, genitive: Γηρυόνος), son of Chrysaor and Callirrhoe and grandson of Medusa, was a fearsome giant who dwelt on the island Erytheia of the mythic Hesperides in the far west of the Mediterranean.

Rahab, (/ˈreɪ.hæb/; Hebrew: רָחָב, Modern Raẖav, Tiberian Rāḥāḇ; "broad," "large") was, according to the Book of Joshua, a prostitute who lived in Jericho in the Promised Land and assisted the Israelites in capturing the city.

Bernard of Clairvaux (Latin: Bernardus Claraevallensis), O.

Pedanius Dioscorides (Ancient Greek: Πεδάνιος Διοσκουρίδης; c. 40 – 90 AD) was a physician, pharmacologist and botanist, the author of De Materia Medica—a 5-volume encyclopedia about herbal medicine and related medicinal substances (a pharmacopeia), that was widely read for more than 1,500 years.

Dionysius the Areopagite (Greek Διονύσιος ὁ Ἀρεοπαγίτης) was a judge of the Areopagus who, as related in the Acts of the Apostles, (Acts 17:34), was converted to Christianity by the preaching of the Apostle Paul during the Areopagus sermon.

Paulus Orosius (/ˈpɔːləs ɔːˈroʊʒiəs/; born c. 375, died after 418 AD) — less often Paul Orosius in English — was a Gallaecian Chalcedonian priest, historian and theologian, a student of Augustine of Hippo.

In Greek mythology, Amphiaraus (/ˌæmfiəˈreɪəs/; Greek: Ἀμφιάραος Amphiaraos, "doubly cursed" or "twice Ares-like") was the son of Oecles and Hypermnestra, and husband of Eriphyle.

Tristan and Iseult is a tale made popular during the 12th century through French medieval poetry, inspired by Celtic legend.

Mary (Greek: Μαριάμ, translit. Mariám; Aramaic: ܡܪܝܡ‎, translit. Mariam‎; Hebrew: מִרְיָם‎, translit. Miriam‎), also known by various titles, styles and honorifics, was a 1st-century Galilean Jewish woman of Nazareth and the mother of Jesus, according to the New Testament and the Quran.

In Greek mythology, Deidamia (/ˌdeɪdəˈmaɪə/; Greek: Δηϊδάμεια, Deidameia) is the daughter of King Lycomedes of Scyros.

Odysseus (/oʊˈdɪsiəs, oʊˈdɪsjuːs/; Greek: Ὀδυσσεύς [odysˈsews]), also known by the Latin name Ulysses (US /juːˈlɪsiːz/, UK /ˈjuːlɪsiːz/; Latin: Ulyssēs, Ulixēs), was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey.

Albertus Magnus, O.

Socrates (/ˈsɒkrətiːz/; Greek: Σωκράτης [sɔːkrátɛːs], Sōkrátēs; 470/469 – 399 BC) was a classical Greek (Athenian) philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy.

Jason (/ˈdʒeɪsən/; Greek: Ἰάσων Iásōn) was an ancient Greek mythological hero who was famous for his role as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece.

Heraclitus of Ephesus (/ˌhɛrəˈklaɪtəs/; Greek: Ἡράκλειτος ὁ Ἐφέσιος, Hērákleitos ho Ephésios; c. 535 – c. 475 BC) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, and a native of the city of Ephesus, then part of the Persian Empire.

Democritus (/dɪˈmɒkrɪtəs/; Greek: Δημόκριτος, Dēmókritos, meaning "chosen of the people"; c. 460 – c. 370 BC) was an influential Ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher primarily remembered today for his formulation of an atomic theory of the universe.

Thales of Miletus (/ˈθeɪliːz/; Greek: Θαλῆς (ὁ Μῑλήσιος), Thalēs; c. 624 – c. 546 BC) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, mathematician and astronomer from Miletus in Asia Minor, current day Milet in Turkey and one of the Seven Sages of Greece.

Avicenna (/ˌævᵻˈsɛnə/; Latinized form of Ibn-Sīnā, full name Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Sīnā أبو علي الحسين بن عبد الله بن الحسن بن علي بن سينا‍; c. 980 – June 1037) was a Persian polymath who is regarded as one of the most significant thinkers and writers of the Islamic Golden Age.

Ibn Rushd (Arabic: ابن رشد‎‎; April 14, 1126 – December 10, 1198), full name (Arabic: أبو الوليد محمد ابن احمد ابن رشد‎, translit. ʾAbū l-Walīd Muḥammad Ibn ʾAḥmad Ibn Rushd‎), often Latinized as Averroes (/əˈvɛroʊˌiːz/), was a medieval Andalusian polymath.

Empedocles (/ɛmˈpɛdəkliːz/; Greek: Ἐμπεδοκλῆς [empedoklɛ̂ːs], Empedoklēs; c. 490 – c. 430 BC) was a Greek pre-Socratic philosopher and a citizen of Acragas (Agrigentum), a Greek city in Sicily.

Plato (/ˈpleɪtoʊ/; Greek: Πλάτων Plátōn, pronounced [plá.tɔːn] in Classical Attic; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a philosopher in Classical Greece and the founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world.

Aristotle (/ˈærɪˌstɒtəl/; Greek: Ἀριστοτέλης Greek pronunciation: [aristotélɛːs], Aristotélēs; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and scientist born in the city of Stagira, Chalkidice, on the northern periphery of Classical Greece.

Diogenes of Sinope (/daɪˈɒdʒəˌniːz/; Greek: Διογένης ὁ Σινωπεύς, Diogenēs ho Sinōpeus) was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynic philosophy.