Dante, Inferno
Wrath and Gloom beneath the Water
Above the mud, spirits strike and bite one another. Virgil identifies them as people whom anger overcame, then directs Dante’s attention to the bubbles made by a submerged multitude. The hidden company recalls carrying an inward mist while living beneath a glad sun. Their words now emerge only as indistinct gurgling through the slime.
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In the sources
The encounter
LiteraryAbove the mud, spirits strike and bite one another. Virgil identifies them as people whom anger overcame, then directs Dante’s attention to the bubbles made by a submerged multitude.
Further detail
LiteraryThe hidden company recalls carrying an inward mist while living beneath a glad sun. Their words now emerge only as indistinct gurgling through the slime.
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 souls of those whom anger overcame. This too for certain know, that underneath The water dwells a multitude, whose sighs Into these bubbles make theOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 60
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-P0060
- Original scan leaf
- 67
- Recorded leaf number
- 67
- Current Reader position
- 60
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Dante's Inferno
Carrying a foul and lazy mist within: Now in these murky settlings are we sad.' Such dolorous strain they gurgle in their throats, But word distinctOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 60
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-P0060
- Original scan leaf
- 67
- Recorded leaf number
- 67
- Current Reader position
- 60
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Illustrations
Continue exploring
The Stygian Lake
The dark marsh of the fifth circle, crossed before the city of Dis.
Same subject and traditionGolden Outside, Lead Within
The hypocrites’ bright garments conceal a burden that slows every step.
Same subject and traditionThe Condemned Souls’ Distant Knowledge
Farinata’s explanation of foresight combined with ignorance of present events.
Same subject and traditionThe Epicureans in Dante’s Cemetery
The group defined in the poem by the belief that spirit dies with the body.