Semiramis

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In Canto V of the Inferno Semiramis is indicated by Virgil as the one who opens the file of the carnal sinners, swept by the infernal whirlwind: «Ell' è Semiramìs, di cui si legge» (Inf. V 58). The notes to the canto identify her as queen of the Assyrians, who lived in the fourteenth century B.C. according to information drawn from Paul Orosius, a Roman historian and disciple of Saint Augustine. The commentary recalls her as famous for her unbridled license, placing her at the head of the band precisely to highlight her guilt of lust. According to a tradition reported in the notes, she died by the hand of the very son of whom she had fallen in love. Her presence serves to introduce the theme of the passion of love that dominates the entire canto, alongside other emblematic figures of queens and princes.