Dante, Inferno
The Giants around the Central Well
Distance and the gloomy atmosphere cause Dante to mistake the forms ahead for towers. Virgil corrects him: they are giants standing immersed from the navel downward around the bank. The narrator compares their arrangement to the turrets of Montereggioni. As the travellers approach, the architectural appearance gives way to living forms whose scale increases his fear.
Loading your archive…
In the sources
The encounter
LiteraryDistance and the gloomy atmosphere cause Dante to mistake the forms ahead for towers. Virgil corrects him: they are giants standing immersed from the navel downward around the bank.
Further detail
LiteraryThe narrator compares their arrangement to the turrets of Montereggioni. As the travellers approach, the architectural appearance gives way to living forms whose scale increases his fear.
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
these are not towers, But giants. In the pit they stand immersed, Each from his navel downward, round the bank." As when a fog disperseth gradually,Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 208
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-P0208
- Original scan leaf
- 215
- Recorded leaf number
- 215
- Current Reader position
- 208
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Dante's Inferno
turreted with giants, half their length Uprearing, horrible, whom Jove from heaven Yet threatens, when his muttering thunder rolls. Of one already I descried the face,Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 208
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-P0208
- Original scan leaf
- 215
- Recorded leaf number
- 215
- Current Reader position
- 208
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Illustrations
Continue exploring
Ephialtes in Chains
The rebellious giant whose immense strength is confined by a repeated chain.
Same subject and traditionAcheron 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.