Dante, Purgatorio
The Serpent in the Flowered Valley
Sordello points out the enemy along a side of the valley without a barrier. The serpent moves among the grass and flowers, lifting its head and licking its back, and is compared with the creature associated with Eve. The angels' green wings cut the air and the serpent flees. They return above the company, allowing the conversations below to continue.
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In the sources
The encounter
LiterarySordello points out the enemy along a side of the valley without a barrier. The serpent moves among the grass and flowers, lifting its head and licking its back, and is compared with the creature associated with Eve.
Further detail
LiteraryThe angels' green wings cut the air and the serpent flees. They return above the company, allowing the conversations below to continue.
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
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante
Around the little vale, a serpent lay, Such haply as gave Eve the bitter food. Between the grass and flowers, the evil snake Came on, revertingOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Purgatory and Paradise, Cary translation; active reader leaf 55
Passage read in the exact edition’s extracted canto text; whitespace-normalised anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Associated plates separately inspected.
- Edition
- IMJ-0119-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0119-E001-P0055
- Original scan leaf
- 56
- Recorded leaf number
- 56
- Current Reader position
- 52
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante
The serpent fled ; and, to their stations, back The angels up return'd with equal flight. The spirit, (who to Nino, when he call'd. Had come,)Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Purgatory and Paradise, Cary translation; active reader leaf 55
Passage read in the exact edition’s extracted canto text; whitespace-normalised anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Associated plates separately inspected.
- Edition
- IMJ-0119-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0119-E001-P0055
- Original scan leaf
- 56
- Recorded leaf number
- 56
- Current Reader position
- 52
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed