Dante, Inferno
The City of Dis
Dante sees towers glowing red from the fire within, deep surrounding fosses and walls that seem made of iron. A crowd of fallen beings at the gate challenges his passage without first undergoing death. Virgil’s private negotiation fails and the gate closes against him. He nevertheless expects a stronger arrival capable of opening the city, which occurs in the next canto.
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In the sources
The encounter
LiteraryDante sees towers glowing red from the fire within, deep surrounding fosses and walls that seem made of iron. A crowd of fallen beings at the gate challenges his passage without first undergoing death.
Further detail
LiteraryVirgil’s private negotiation fails and the gate closes against him. He nevertheless expects a stronger arrival capable of opening the city, which occurs in the next canto.
Context & interpretation
This entry follows the supplied Thompson & Thomas edition of H. F. Cary’s translation. It describes Dante’s literary vision, distinguishing its assignments and reported claims from historical biography, other classical traditions and independently established accounts of an afterlife.
Original passages
Source 1
Dante's Inferno
city, that of Dis is named, With its grave denizens, a mighty throng." I thus : " The minarets already, sir ! There, certes, in theOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 65
Passage read in the exact edition’s extracted canto text; whitespace-normalised anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Associated plates separately inspected.
- Edition
- IMJ-0082-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0082-E001-P0065
- Original scan leaf
- 72
- Recorded leaf number
- 72
- Current Reader position
- 65
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Dante's Inferno
excluded, he return'd To me with tardy steps. Upon the ground His eyes were bent, and from his brow erased All confidence, while thus in sighsOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 68
Passage read in the exact edition’s extracted canto text; whitespace-normalised anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Associated plates separately inspected.
- Edition
- IMJ-0082-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0082-E001-P0068
- Original scan leaf
- 75
- Recorded leaf number
- 75
- Current Reader position
- 68
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Illustrations
Continue exploring
Acheron in Dante’s Journey
The river where the arriving dead assemble for Charon’s crossing.
Same subject and traditionAntenora, the Second Frozen Round
The part of the ice where the encounter with Bocca leads to accusations of betrayal.
Same subject and traditionCaina, the First Frozen Round
The first division of the frozen circle, introduced through entangled family figures.
Same subject and traditionCocytus, the Frozen Lake
The lake of immobilising cold at the bottom of Dante’s Inferno.