The Divine Comedy. Inferno XIX John S. Williams May 4, 2009

8 th Circle 3 rd Pouch Punished here are the Simonists. Simonists are those who did not work for their positions. Instead they bought or sold places of power.

Punishment In this pouch of the inferno, the Simonists are left upside-down in holes. Flames lick the soles of their feet from heel to toe causing them to writhe painfully. When new souls come in, the old ones are buried beneath them.

Scenery Dante relates the holes that the souls are placed in to the St. John Baptistery at Florence. The whole 8 th circle slopes toward the center. The 3 rd pouch is not as steep as the two before it but steeper then those after. Baptistery at St. John’s Basilica

People Met There Dante finds Pope Nicholas III whose feet writhe more painfully then others due to the flames being larger. Nicholas at first mistakes Dante for Boniface VIII (the pope who exiled Dante), who is supposed to replace him in this hole. Nicholas shows premonition by stating that if Dante were Boniface, he would be dead before his time. Pope Nicholas III

More Summary Nicholas III tells Dante that there are many more worse sinners then he left on earth who will soon meet a punishment worse then his own. Dante then tells Nicholas that he deserves the punishment because Peter did not buy the keys to heaven off of Jesus. Dante then rebukes all sinners of the church.