And...We're Back!

Well, after a short (ish) hiatus, I'm ready to start posting again!

Except that I don't remember most of what I read: great.

The Divine Comedy's taking me a good while; I just keep ending up doing other things, despite vaguely wanting to continue reading it. It's not really engaging, somehow.

When I left off, Dante and Virgil were passing through the desert of those who committed violence against God. Through this, he passes on what I believe to be a strip of land in the middle of a river of blood. On this strip, the heat of the desert is cooled.

Reaching the next circle, Virgil drops the rope around Dante's waist down (perhaps he was wearing a monk's habit). This lures the beast Geryon (slain by Hercules for his oxen; the description used is found in Rev. 9:7-10) who carries them down on his back.

This Eighth Circle is itself divided into ten chasms, which are crossed by ridges and bridges (heh).

In the first, two groups flee in opposite directions (some towards the two, the others away from them) from demons who smite their backs with scourges. Here are the panders (those who further affairs [which, interestingly, seems to be a markedly less-serious sin]) and seducers, including Jason (who seduced Hypsipyle and abandoned Medea).

In the second are the Flatterers, who are covered in what Dante thinks to be human waste.

The third chasm holds the Simonists (who sell holy offices for money). They are stacked on one another into the depths in wholes wide enough to fit only one while their feet burn brightly. Here Dante meets Pope Nicholas III, who is expecting [the then still-living] Boniface VIII and Clement V.

In the fourth chasm, Dante finds the Diviners, Augurs, and Sorcerers, who have their heads turned round so that they must walk backwards. Amphiaraus, Michael Scott (certainly a different viewpoint than that of the protagonists in The Adept), and others are found here.

In the fifth chasm reside the Barrators (who sell civil offices) and Barterers (I honestly have no idea). They are held in boiling blood and pitch by Demons.

The Hypocrites are tortured in the sisth, where they are cloaked with gold-gilded lead and forced to walk for eternity.

In the seventh, Dante finds the Thieves. The serpents of this chasm inflict the Theives' pain (even turning them into serpents occasionally). Here, Dante's own exile is prophesied.

The eighth chasm is filled with those who gave evil counsel in life. Here are Ulysses and Diomedes. They are forever burning so that their bodies cannot be seen through the flames.

In the ninth, the sowers of Scandal and Schism are rent in various places. Some have only ears or hands lopped off, but others have more horrific punishment. In particular, Muhammed is cleaved in half from chin down, and his son Ali from chin up.

Falsifiers of all sorts - things, deeds, and words - have their fate in the tenth. Diseases of all sorts afflict the Alchemists, Forgers, and their ilk. Sinon, whose actions felled Troy, is found here.

Around the ninth circle stand the giant Nephilim, who include Nimrod (who speaks a tongue only he understands), Ephilates (who is chained down), and Antaeus (who lifts the two down).

The final circle is locked up in icy Cocytus, a frozen lake formed by all of the rivers in Hell. Those nearest the edge reside in Caina and did violence against their kin in life; only their heads are above the ice (which is as clear as glass).

Farther in is Antenora (named for the betrayer of Troy), where those who commited treachery against their country are punished; only their faces are above the ice.

Finally, is Judecca. Here are all those who betrayed their own benefactors. Various sinners are buried under the ice, but there are four who steal the show. The Beast himself is encased to his chest here. With his six wings he strives to return to the Heavens, but this, along with his tears, only binds him all the stronger. He has six heads, one red, one black, and one a sickly yellow. In his three maws are the sinners Brutus and Cassius (who betrayed Caesar) and Judas Iscariot (of whom only the legs are visible).

The pair climbs down his back, encrusted with filth and ice, to the southern hemisphere. There, Dante is surprised to find that the Beast is suddenly above them.

Opinion:
Uf, that took a while (hmm, that's not really an opinion).

Honestly, it's been a good two weeks since I read this, so...

I'm still enjoying all of the Greek and Roman references (although Norse is always better). ; they serve to give you a bit better idea of what is actually being punished. It almost feels like each circle is being passed through too quickly, though; Each punishment only takes up about three pages. Anything more would be a bit too long, I guess (seeing as I'm already having enough trouble getting through this).