Biblical figures
Ahithophel
Counselor of King David mentioned by Bertran de Born, who compares him to Absalom because of their broken father-son bond and for having instigated the rebellion.
Profile
In Canto XXVIII of the Inferno the troubadour Bertran de Born, damned among the sowers of discord, cites Ahithophel as a term of comparison for his own guilt. The note to verse 137 clarifies that Ahithophel was a counselor of King David and incited his son Absalom against the father, who tenderly loved him, as narrated in the Second Book of Samuel. The comparison with Absalom, evoked in the same verse, is reinforced by the father-son bond which for Bertran de Born is the closest natural tie. Dante's mention remains exclusively a historical-biblical simile uttered by the damned, with no further biographical details provided by the verses.
In the text
Linked verses
1 verses| Cantica | Canto | Verso | Testo | Open verse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inferno | Canto XXVIII | 137 | Achitofèl non fé più d’Absalone | Open verse |