Commentary Inf III 34-36

For the history of the interpretation of this tercet, now generally understood to indicate the presence in the 'ante-inferno,' or vestibule of hell, of the neutrals, those who never took a side, see Mazzoni (Mazz.1967.1), pp. 355-367. And, for the existence of exactly such a 'vestibule' in hell in the Visio Pauli see Silverstein (Silv.1937.1). In Paul's apocryphal Vision (for the most recent text see Silv.1997.1) there is a river of flame separating 'those who were neither hot nor cold' (Apoc. 3:15-16) from the other sinners.