Toynbee "Inferno_1"
Hell, the abode of the damned, [Inf. i. 110], [Inf. iii. 41], [Inf. v. 10], [Inf. vi. 40], [Inf. vi. 84], [Inf. viii. 75], [Inf. x. 36], [Inf. xii. 35], [Inf. xvi. 33], [Inf. xviii. 1], [Inf. xxv. 13], [Inf. xxvi. 3], [Inf. xviii. 50], [Inf. xxix. 96], [Inf. xxxiv. 81]; [Purg. i. 129], [Purg. v. 104], [Purg. vii. 21], [Purg. xvi. 1], [Purg. xxi. 32], [Purg. xxii. 14]; [Par. vi. 74], [Par. xx. 106], [Par. xxxi. 81]. [Par. xxxii. 33]; Conv. IV. xxvi. 9; infernus [Inf. xxxiv. 1]; Epist. xiii. 31; alluded to as luogo etterno, [Inf. i. 114]; città` dolente, [Inf. iii. 1]; valle d'abisso dolorosa, [Inf. iv. 8]; cieco mondo, [Inf. iv. 13], [Inf. xxvii. 25]; abisso, [Inf. iv. 24], [Inf. xi. 5], [Inf. xxxiv. 100]; [Purg. i. 46]; doloroso ospizio, [Inf. v. 16]; il cupo, [Inf. vii. 10]; regno de la morta gente, [Inf. viii. 85], [Inf. viii. 90]; buia contrada, [Inf. viii. 93]; mondo basso, [Inf. viii. 108]; trista conca, [Inf. ix. 16]; città del foco, [Inf. x. 22]; cieco carcere, [Inf. x. 58-59]; [Purg. xxii. 103]; baratro, [Inf. xi. 69]; valle buia, [Inf. xii. 86]; luoghi bui, [Inf. xvi. 82], [Inf. xxiv. 141]; mal mondo, [Inf. xix. 11]; etterno essilio, [Inf. xxiii. 126]; [Purg. xxi. 18]; gola fiera, [Inf. xxiv. 123]; mondo gramo, [Inf. xxx. 59]; fondo d'ogni reo, [Inf. xxxi. 102]; doloroso regno, [Inf. xxxiv. 28]; mar crudele, [Purg. i. 3]; pregione etterna, [Purg. i. 41]; profonda notte, [Purg. i. 44], [Purg. xxiii. 121-122]; valle inferna, [Purg. i. 45]; dolente regno, [Purg. vii. 22]; luoghi tristi, [Purg. viii. 58]; infernale ambascia, [Purg. xvi. 39]; [Par. xxvi. 133]; valle ove mai non si scolpa, [Purg. xxiv. 84]; mondo defunto, [Par. xvii. 21]; mondo amaro, [Par. xvii. 112]; valle dolorosa, [Par. xvii. 137]; l'opposta [vita amara], [Par. xx. 48]; infima lacuna / de l'universo, [Par. xxxiii. 22]. [Dite.]

The Hell of Dante consists of nine concentric circles (cerchi, [Inf. iv. 24] [Inf. v. 1], [Inf. vi. 7], [Inf. vii. 31], [Inf. vii. 35], [Inf. vii. 44], [Inf. vii. 100], [Inf. viii. 129] [Inf. ix. 27] [Inf. xi. 28], [Inf. xi. 57], [Inf. xi. 64] [Inf. xii. 39]; [Inf. xiv. 127], [Inf. xvii. 44] [Inf. xxv. 13]; [Purg. i. 78]; [Purg. vii. 22]; cerchie, [Inf. xviii. 3], [Inf. xviii. 72], [Inf. xxiii. 134]; cerchietti, [Inf. xi. 17]; cinghi, [Inf. xviii. 7]; [Purg. xxii. 103]; giri, [Inf. x. 4] [Inf. xvi. 2] [Inf. xxviii. 50]; gironi, [Inf. xi. 30], [Inf. xi. 39], [Inf. xi. 42], [Inf. xi. 49], [Inf. xiii. 17], [Inf. xvii. 38]), of which the first and uppermost is just beneath the surface of the earth, which forms, as it were, a cover to it. The remaining circles successively diminish in circumference, forming an immense inverted cone or funnel (conca, [Inf. ix. 16]), the lowest point of which is the centre of the earth ([Inf. xxxii. 73-74], [Inf. xxxiv 110-111]); and of the universe [Universo]; this is the point where Dante places Lucifer ([Inf. xi. 64-65]). Each of these nine circles is presided over by one or more demons or evil spirits -- Circle I by Charon [Caron]; Circle II by Minos [Minos]; Circle III by Cerberus [Cerbero]; Circle IV by Plutus [Pluto]; Circle V by Phlegyas [Flegias]; Circle VI by the Furies [Furie]; Circle VII by the Minotaur [Minotauro]; Circle VIII by Geryon [Gerione]; Circle IX by the Giants [Giganti]. In each circle a distinct class of sinners is punished. Hell as a whole may be divided into two main parts, which comprise four regions. Of these two parts, the first, in which sins of incontinence ([Inf. xi. 82-90]) are punished, forming a sort of Upper Hell, lies outside the City of Dis [Dite]; the other, or Lower Hell, in which sins of malice ([Inf. xi. 82]) are punished, is situated within the City of Dis. Upper Hell consists of the first five circles, which are contiguous; these are arranged as follows. On the upper confines of the abyss, above the first circle, is a region, which forms, as it were, an Ante-Hell, where are the souls of those who did neither good nor evil, the neutrals, who are 'spewed forth' from Hell proper [Antinferno: Angeli_2]. In Circle I are placed unbaptized infants, and the virtuous men and women of antiquity, these are free from torture [Limbo]. At the entrance to Circle II is stationed Minos, the judge; here begin the torments of Hell. Circles II-V are appropriated to the punishment of sins of incontinence. Then come the walls of the City of Dis, which form the division between Upper and Lower Hell. Within these walls lies Circle VI, where arch-heretics are punished. After Circle VI comes a steep descent (burrato, [Inf. xii. 10]), and the second region is reached. This contains the three Rounds of Circle VII. After a still more precipitous descent (alto burrato, [Inf. xvi. 114]) comes the third region, comprising the ten Pits (bolge, [Inf. xxix. 7]; valli, [Inf. xviii. 9]; fossi, [Inf. xviii. 17]) of Circle VIII (Malebolge, [Inf. xviii. 1]). These Pits lie one below the other on a slope, like the rows of an amphitheatre, and are divided from each other by banks (argini, [Inf. xviii. 17] etc.; ripe, [Inf. xviii. 15], [Inf. xviii. 69], etc.), crossed at right angles by radial bridges of rock (scogli, [Inf. xviii. 16], [Inf. xviii. 69], [Inf. xviii. 111], etc.; ponti, [Inf. xviii. 79] [Inf. xxi. 1], [Inf. xxi. 37], [Inf. xxi. 47], etc.), resembling the transverse gangways of a theatre [Malebolge]. Below Malebolge is a third abyss (pozzo, [Inf. xxxi. 32], [Inf. xxxi, 42], [Inf. xxxii. 16]), at the bottom of which lies the fourth or frozen region, comprising the four divisions of Circle IX, named respectively after Cain [Caina], Antenor of Troy [Antenora], Ptolemy of Jericho [Tolomea], and Judas Iscariot [Giudecca]; in the last of these, in the nethermost pit of Hell, is fixed Lucifer ([Inf. xxxiv. 20]) [Lucifero]. Down through Hell, from end to end, flows the infernal stream, under the various names of Acheron, Styx, Phlegethon, and Cocytus [Fiumi infernali].

The time occupied by D.'s journey through Hell is estimated at 24 or 25 hours, viz. from nightfall on the evening of Good Friday, April 8, until shortly after sunset on Easter-eve, Saturday, April 9, 1300. [See E. Moore, TRDC, Table V.]

©Oxford University Press 1968. From A Dictionary of Proper Names and Notable Matters in the Works of Dante by Paget Toynbee (1968) by permission of Oxford University Press