Dante, Inferno
Thais and Exaggerated Praise
Virgil directs Dante’s gaze toward Thais, described as alternately crouching and rising within the second ditch. He identifies her by recounting a reply that magnifies ordinary thanks into excessive praise. The guide ends their inspection after pointing out this example. The poem’s accusatory language and assignment are retained as features of its literary representation, rather than adopted as the Gallery or Codex’s judgement of women.
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In the sources
The encounter
LiteraryVirgil directs Dante’s gaze toward Thais, described as alternately crouching and rising within the second ditch. He identifies her by recounting a reply that magnifies ordinary thanks into excessive praise.
Further detail
LiteraryThe guide ends their inspection after pointing out this example. The poem’s accusatory language and assignment are retained as features of its literary representation, rather than adopted as the Gallery or Codex’s judgement of women.
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
Thais is this, the harlot, whose false lip Answer'd her doting paramour that ask'd, ' Thankest me much ! ' ' Say rather, wondrously,' And, seeingOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 130
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-P0130
- Original scan leaf
- 137
- Recorded leaf number
- 137
- Current Reader position
- 130
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Dante's Inferno
wondrously,' And, seeing this, here satiate be our view."Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 130
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-P0130
- Original scan leaf
- 137
- Recorded leaf number
- 137
- Current Reader position
- 130
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Illustrations
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Literary & Visionary Figures ↗
Alessio of Lucca among the Flatterers
The recognised speaker who attributes his place in the second ditch to excessive flattery.
Same subject and traditionAlberigo and the Frozen Tears
The speaker who requests relief from the ice over his eyes but does not receive it.
Same subject and traditionBertran de Born’s Speaking Head
The head-bearing speaker who explains his division through a division he claims to have caused.
Same subject and traditionBocca’s Refusal to Give His Name
The frozen speaker identified by another voice after resisting Dante’s demands.