Dante's History
Dante's History
Mallon Khan
The poem is allegorical, with multiple meanings. Each episode will cover a canto at a time, summarizing and interpreting the poem based on dozens of commentaries. Check the website for further reading.
Inferno: Canto 24 - The Den of Snakes
In this canto, Dante and Virgil finally make it out of the sixth subring of the 8th circle. As they cross the next bolgia, a disgruntled voice draws them down to take a closer look. They discover the seventh subring is full of snakes and thieves. Our travelers speak with one of these thieves, a political opponent of Dante's, who tells them about his greatest crime and offers the pilgrim a discouraging prophecy.
Sep 6, 2021
17 min
Inferno: Canto 23 - The Heavy Hypocrites
In this canto our travelers venture into the sixth bolgia of the 8th circle and walk with a procession of miserable monks who've been forced to wear heavy cloaks. We'll meet two of these sad hypocrites and learn why some of them have been crucified to the ground.
Jun 17, 2021
21 min
Inferno: Canto 22 - The Bargaining Barrators
In this canto, our travelers are joined by the Malebranche who may be leading them into a trap. The demonic escorts also catch an escaped barrator who identifies a few others sinners that bartered for a positions of power and are now submerged under the boiling black pitch. The barrator then tries to trick the demons with a bargain that sounds too good to be true.
May 12, 2021
16 min
Inferno: Canto 21 - The Malebranche
In this canto, our travelers meet the Malebranche; winged demons that patrol the 5th bolgia of the Circle of Fraud. We'll also learn about the sinners here and what the sin of barratry has to with sailing ships.
Mar 16, 2021
22 min
Inferno: Canto 20 - The Seditious Soothsayers
In this canto, Virgil and the pilgrim examine the fourth ditch of the 8th circle and the group of sinners who abused the gift of prophecy. We'll learn about a few ancient prophets and Dante will have Virgil make a correction to his own work.
Dec 7, 2020
29 min
Inferno: Canto 19 - The Sycophantic Simonists
In this canto, Dante and Virgil explore the 3rd valley of the Malebolge. We'll learn about the sin of Simony and meet a former Pope who has been buried upside down for twenty years. Dante also finds a way to insult one of his greatest political enemies.
Sep 2, 2020
32 min
Inferno: Canto 18 - The Belly Of Hell
In this episode, Dante and Virgil begin exploring the 8th circle of the Inferno: The Malebolge. The pilgrim will describe the structure of this part of hell and meet two different kinds of sinners. We'll also learn how the sinners in this part of the Inferno use fraud to exploit the sins of others.
Jun 17, 2020
20 min
Inferno: Canto 17 - The Beast of Fraud
In this canto, Dante and Virgil encounter Geryon, the beast of fraud and the pilgrim will meet the last group of violent sinners, those who make money from money.
Apr 13, 2020
20 min
Inferno: Canto 16 - The Three Shades
In this canto, our travelers meet a trio of Florentine politicians who want to know about the current state of nobility in Florence. They also encounter a waterfall at the very edge of the 7th ring where Dante will be asked to give up something of his.
Jan 22, 2020
25 min
Inferno: Canto 15 - The Uncivil Servants
In this canto, Dante meets the man who taught him how to speak and write-- a politician and fellow exile who has one last lesson for the pilgrim. We'll also learn about the group of sinners punished in this sub-circle-- those who were violent against nature and order.
Aug 2, 2019
24 min
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