Dante's History

Sep 14 2023 25 ep. 18 mins 94
Dante's History Podcast artwork

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.

  History  Education  Religion & Spirituality
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Inferno: Canto 25 - The Transforming Thieves

Sep 14 2023 24 mins  
In this canto, Dante and Virgil continue to observe the thieves that reside in the seventh ditch of the 8th circle of the inferno, aka The Malebolge. Virgil will tell him about us about the raging centaur that terrorizes the inhabitants here and Dante will witness a couple of grotesque transformations.

Inferno: Canto 24 - The Den of Snakes

Sep 06 2021 17 mins  
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 pi

Inferno: Canto 23 - The Heavy Hypocrites

Jun 17 2021 21 mins  
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.

Inferno: Canto 22 - The Bargaining Barrators

May 11 2021 16 mins  
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.

Inferno: Canto 21 - The Malebranche

Mar 16 2021 22 mins  
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.

Inferno: Canto 20 - The Seditious Soothsayers

Dec 07 2020 29 mins  
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.

Inferno: Canto 19 - The Sycophantic Simonists

Sep 02 2020 32 mins  
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.

Inferno: Canto 18 - The Belly Of Hell

Jun 16 2020 20 mins  
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.

Inferno: Canto 17 - The Beast of Fraud

Apr 12 2020 20 mins  
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.

Inferno: Canto 16 - The Three Shades

Jan 22 2020 25 mins  
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.