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Virgil proceeds to guide Dante through the nine circles of Hell. The circles are concentric, representing a gradual increase in wickedness, and culminating at the centre of the earth, where Satan is held in bondage.
Jun 5, 2018 · Dante, rendered in a Signorelli fresco at Orvieto Cathedral, was a government official in Florence before he was accused of stealing city funds and exiled (Credit: Alamy)
Dante was among the White Guelphs who were exiled in 1302 by the Lord-Mayor Cante de' Gabrielli di Gubbio, after troops under Charles of Valois entered the city, at the request of Pope Boniface VIII, who supported the Black Guelphs.
Oct 24, 2024 · The Divine Comedy is a long narrative poem written in Italian by Dante circa 1308–21. It consists of three sections: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The poem traces the journey of Dante from darkness and error to the revelation of the divine light, culminating in the Beatific Vision of God.
- Matt Staggs
- Penguin Random House
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- Limbo. The first circle is home to the unbaptized and virtuous pagans. It’s not Heaven, but as far as Hell goes, it isn’t too bad: It’s the retirement community of the afterlife.
- Lust. The wind-buffeted second circle of Hell is the final destination of the lustful and adulterous — basically anyone controlled by their hormones.
- Gluttony. Today’s forecast calls for plenty of icy rain and slush — a “wintery mix” for all eternity. You know those people whose Instagram feeds are full of carefully lit photos of artfully arranged entrees?
- Greed. This section of Hell is reserved for the money-grubbers and overly materialistic among us. According to Dante, those condemned to the fourth circle spend eternity fighting over money and valuables, so be prepared to meet all of your distant cousins who show up out of nowhere with empty U-Haul trucks moments the moment after a well-to-do great aunt or uncle dies.
How did Dante die? Facing execution in Florence for refusing to pay a fine—resulting from his political activities—in 1302, Dante wandered before settling in Ravenna, Italy. There he died in September 1321, shortly after finishing The Divine Comedy .
Here in the Fourth Ring of the Ninth Circle of Hell, at the utter bottom, Dante comes to the end of his hierarchy of sins and thus completes the catalogue of evil that dominates and defines Inferno.
