Nine Circles of Dante’s Inferno

Dante’s Inferno: Canto XIX

Dante and Virgil encounter the Simoniacs, or sellers of church offices and favors, in the third ring, circle eight of the 19th canto. In this section, there are holes in the ground where the guilty are placed upside down and left with their feet ablaze. I found this canto to be particularly interesting as this circle contains those who commit direct crimes against the church, including a host of popes. In circle eight Dante delivers a stirring speech upbraiding chief sinner Pope Nicholas III on the evils of selling church offices and tainting the belongings of Christ, illustrating Dante’s journey of spiritual self-enlightenment and redemption.

Upon arriving, Dante notes how there are “long rows of holes cut in the livid stone; all were cut to a size, and all were round. They seemed to be exactly the same size as those in the font of my beautiful San Giovanni, built to protect the priests who come to baptize” (XIX. 14-18 153). Dante describes the holes in which the sinners are placed as resembling baptismal fonts. This canto is teeming with irony and religious symbolism as the sinners, who had defiled and sold church offices and belongings, are now being punished through the very same things. According to The Inferno’s notes, the font of San Giovanni was used during Holy Sunday and Pentecost for baptism, and due to the massive influx of people, marble stands were built for the priests to protect them. Dante speaks about these baptismal fonts tenderly and reminiscently, evoking beautiful imagery about the church creating the impression that Dante holds the church and its sacraments in high regard.

Additionally, the feet of the sinners burn from the fire of hell. According to the book of Acts, during Pentecost, the disciples witnessed “tongues of fire” that came to each of them and filled them with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3). The reason Dante chose to punish the sinners with fire is to illustrate how the sinners, immersed in a fiery baptism, is retribution for desecrating the holy waters of baptism. The fire is depicted as “oiled things [that] blaze upon the surface only” (XIX.30.153). The oily fire could be symbolic of the importance oil plays in Christianity; as oil was used in anointing essential figures and in death rituals. Dante also writes that the degree of heat on the sinner’s feet is equal to their guilt. It’s worth noticing that while the center of hell is covered in ice, there are only a few places in hell where a fire is prevalent with the third ring of the eighth circle being one of them. The eighth circle ties in with the Christian view of hell filled with fire and brimstone, and perhaps this is what Dante wanted for those who directly offended the church.

While entering the circle, Dante sends praises to God, exclaiming “O Sovereign Wisdom, how Thine art doth shine, in Heaven, on Earth, and in the Evil World! How justly doth Thy power judge and assign” (XIX.10-13. 153)! Dante’s praise is him acknowledging God’s omniscient and omnipotent nature and how God’s essence is evident in every corner of the universe. God ultimately has power over everything, and Dante views his judgment on people as fair and just. It’s intriguing that Dante highlights God’s authority on not just judgment but also assignment. God’s power of assessment and appointment creates the impression that instead of Minos assigning the level of hell to each sinner, it is God. Whether He just knows where the sinner will go or condemns them to a part of hell, God has authority over Hell just as He does in Heaven and Earth.

Perhaps the most riveting part of this canto is Dante’s speech to Pope Nicholas III. When Dante first encounters him, Pope Nicholas mistakes him for Boniface, an archbishop who helped organize Christianity in modern day Germany. Pope Nicholas then admits his sins, saying that he valued wealth above all else and to achieve it he sold church powers and offices. Dante then severely rebukes him, rhetorically asking “’how much cash our Lord required of Peter in guarantee before he put the keys into his keeping?’” (XIX. 84-86. 155). Dante answers his question, stating that Jesus never required material goods but that we believe in Him and follow Him. Dante goes on to say that the apostle Peter never asked for money to portray that Pope Nicholas, who put his life in the hands of money instead of Jesus, justly deserves his punishment. Dante doesn’t normally pause to tell sinners that they earned their hellish eternity so for him to stop and shame Pope Nicholas shows that Dante holds the church and its offices in high regard. He goes on to say that he is “constrained by the reverence [he owes] to the Great Keys” (XIX. 95. 156). The great keys representing the church, Dante expresses his loyalty to the church which highlights his redemption in the eyes of God.

Dante, through his dialogue and descriptions, shows that the act of simony warrants a horrific eternity of pain and suffering in hell. Simultaneously, through his interaction with Pope Nicholas Dante is depicted as a lover and protector of the church and God. Dante proves himself worthy of redemption and that he has learned what is truly important in life. While reading and researching about the sinners guilty of simony, I can understand Dante’s raw hatred for the crime. To abuse church offices and powers by selling them mocks the religion and throws away its value and importance. Simony takes religion and tramples it underfoot, treating it like garbage. To partake in this crime is one of the most selfish acts a human can commit and it is a personal sin against God himself.