Dante, Inferno
The Vestibule of the Uncommitted
The canto argument identifies the first company beyond the gate as people who passed their time in indifference. Virgil describes lives without praise or blame, mixed with angels who served only themselves. Heaven excludes the angels, while the deeper Hell refuses them its distinction. The souls follow a rapidly moving flag and are denied the lasting reputation they might have sought in the living world.
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In the sources
The encounter
LiteraryThe canto argument identifies the first company beyond the gate as people who passed their time in indifference. Virgil describes lives without praise or blame, mixed with angels who served only themselves.
Further detail
LiteraryHeaven excludes the angels, while the deeper Hell refuses them its distinction. The souls follow a rapidly moving flag and are denied the lasting reputation they might have sought in the living world.
Context & interpretation
This entry follows the exact supplied Thompson & Thomas edition of H. F. Cary’s translation. Figures, places and events belong to Dante’s literary vision; their assigned roles are distinguished from historical biography, other classical traditions and independently established descriptions of an afterlife.
Original passages
Source 1
Dante's Inferno
those were punished who had passed their time (for living it could not be called) in a state of apathy and indifference both to good andOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 23
Passage read against the exact edition’s extracted canto text; whitespace normalised and original-leaf mapping checked. Plate art separately visually inspected.
- Edition
- IMJ-0082-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0082-E001-P0023
- Original scan leaf
- 30
- Recorded leaf number
- 30
- Current Reader position
- 23
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Dante's Inferno
Without or praise or blame, with that il' band Of angels mix'd, who nor rebellious ^ved, Nor yet were true to God, but for themselves WereOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 26
Passage read against the exact edition’s extracted canto text; whitespace normalised and original-leaf mapping checked. Plate art separately visually inspected.
- Edition
- IMJ-0082-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0082-E001-P0026
- Original scan leaf
- 33
- Recorded leaf number
- 33
- Current Reader position
- 26
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Continue exploring
The Gate of Dante’s Hell
The inscribed entrance that declares the purpose and permanence of the infernal realm.
Shared source pageThe Self-Serving Angels
Angels in the poem who were neither rebellious nor faithful, but acted for themselves.
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.