Dante, Inferno
The Minotaur at the Broken Descent
The Minotaur lies at a broken ridge and bites itself in anger when the travellers arrive. Virgil evokes its defeat by the king of Athens while explaining that Dante has come to observe, not to repeat that combat. As the creature plunges in fury, the guide urges Dante to hurry through the passage. The episode uses agitation to gain a route rather than defeating the guardian in battle.
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In the sources
The encounter
LiteraryThe Minotaur lies at a broken ridge and bites itself in anger when the travellers arrive. Virgil evokes its defeat by the king of Athens while explaining that Dante has come to observe, not to repeat that combat.
Further detail
LiteraryAs the creature plunges in fury, the guide urges Dante to hurry through the passage. The episode uses agitation to gain a route rather than defeating the guardian in battle.
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
The infamy of Crete, detested brood Of the feign'd heifer: and at sight of us It gnaw'd itself, as one with rage distract. To him myOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 90
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-P0090
- Original scan leaf
- 97
- Recorded leaf number
- 97
- Current Reader position
- 90
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Dante's Inferno
The Minotaur ; whereat the sage exclaim'd : " Run to the passage ! while he storms, 'tis well That thou descend." Thus down our roadOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 91
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-P0091
- Original scan leaf
- 98
- Recorded leaf number
- 98
- Current Reader position
- 91
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Illustrations
Continue exploring
Cerberus in the Third Circle
The three-throated guardian among the gluttonous souls beneath ceaseless cold rain.
Same subject and traditionGeryon, the Image of Fraud
A reassuring human face joined to a dangerous composite body at the descent into fraud.
Same subject and traditionThe Harpies of the Thorny Wood
The nesting creatures whose feeding opens the transformed trees to lamentation.