Commentary Purg XII 121-123

It is a Christian commonplace, followed by Dante, that Pride is the root sin, notwithstanding the Pauline claim that 'radix malorum est cupiditas' (avarice is the root of all evil -- I Tim. 6:10).  Clearly Dante holds to the former notion, as we are here told that the removal of the P of Pride erases most of the indented marks made by each of the other six P's.  For the question as to whether or not Dante uniquely has a P upon his forehead see C.Purg.IX.112 and C.Purg.XXI.22-24.