Empire of Nicaea: The Byzantine state in exile which was founded in 1205 after the capture of Constantinople by the crusaders. The capital of the Empire was Nicaea, in Asia Minor.
Empire of Trebizond: The state founded in Trebizond, shortly before the fall of Constantinople in 1204, by the grandsons of Andronikos I Komnenos, Alexios and David.
Enamelling: technique used in precious objects (reliquaries, jewels etc), in which panels are filled with liquefied coloured glass and outlined with strips of gold or gilded filigree.
Ephraim: Chronicler of the end of the 13th century or the beginning of the 14th who came from Ainos in Thrace, on the eastern shore of the Hebros river (present-day Enez).
Episcopal catalogues: catalogues where the bishoprics of the empire were recorded in hierarchical order.
Epitaphios: a liturgical cloth, symbolising the funeral shroud of Jesus. This cloth was at first called aer or amnos: it was embroidered with the image of the Dead Christ surrounded by angels, and was intended to cover the eucharistic elements on the altar and during the Great Entrance of the liturgy. Later, in the 15th century, as the amnos was carried in procession on Good Friday, it came to be known as the epitaphios ("on the grave") and bore the image of the Lamentation.
Epithesis monoprosopon: obligatory provision of any supplies required by lightly armed soldiers or sailors, as well as wheat supplies for fortresses, etc.
Eric of Flanders: Younger brother of Baldwin of Flanders and second emperor of the Latin empire of Constantinople (1206-16).
Eugenius IV: Pope between 1431 and 1447.
Eugenikos, John (early 15th century): Younger brother of Mark Eugenikos, notary and nomophylax (officer of the law) of the Patriarchate. He was a member of the literati of Mistra and the writer of various rhetorical and hagiographical works as well as of the lyrical ekphrasis of Trebizond.
Eugenikos, Mark: older brother of John Eugenikos, anti-Unionist and hesychast theologian of the beginning of the 15th century. He became the metropolitan of Ephesus and was later declared a saint (celebrated on 19 January).
Exonarthex: an oblong space on the west side of the narthex (porch); a second entrance hall of the church.
Expression (ekphrasis): a term already used in the literature of antiquity for an official description of individuals, places, periods of time, actions, celebrations or works of art. More common, in the Byzantine period, were ekphraseis composed for public buildings (secular or ecclesiastical), religious feasts, gardens, hunting scenes, bazaars, picturesque characters and, chiefly, cities.