Characters
Characters of the Divine Comedy
Explore the protagonists and figures Dante meets on his journey.
| Personaggio | Tipologia | Menzioni | Versi collegati | Descrizione |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sinon | Mythological | 1 | 1 | Greek of Troy, recalled by Dante as the false protagonist of the wooden horse deception, placed in the tenth ditch of Inferno XXX among the falsifiers of word. |
| Syrinx | Mythological | 1 | 1 | Nymph of Greek and Latin mythology whose name is mentioned in Purgatorio in reference to the song that Mercury used to put Argus to sleep. |
| Sismondi | Families and factions | 1 | 1 | Ghibelline family of Pisa mentioned by Ugolino in the dream of Canto XXXIII of the Inferno, together with the Gualandi and the Lanfranchi, as supporters of Archbishop Ruggieri. |
| Sizii | Families and factions | 1 | 1 | Florentine Guelph family recalled by Cacciaguida among those already great in his time and seated at the curule chairs, the public offices of the Commune. |
| Socrates | Unclassified | 1 | 1 | Athenian philosopher named by Dante in Limbo among the wise men of antiquity, alongside Plato. |
| Soldanieri | Families and factions | 1 | 1 | Mentioned by Cacciaguida in the Heaven of Mars among the ancient Florentine families, in a line that lists Ghibelline houses. |
| Sun | Deity | 1 | 2 | The Sun is mentioned in Purgatorio as the celestial body that traces the arc of the heavens, paired with Diana (Delia) who girds her cincture. |
| Solon | Poets and thinkers | 1 | 1 | Athenian legislator recalled by Charlemagne in the Heaven of Venus as an example of the variety of celestial influences, which produce on earth natures very different from one another. |
| Sordello | Poets and thinkers | 4 | 8 | Poet and troubadour of Mantuan origin whom Dante meets in the valley of the negligent princes, recognized solely by the name of the homeland he shares with Virgil. |
| Holy Spirit | Deity | 2 | 8 | Third person of the Christian Trinity, indicated by Dante as the divine love that inflames the blessed souls and inspires sacred song. His presence is still recalled in the Heaven of the Sun and in the Heaven of the Fixed Stars. |
| Statius | Poets and thinkers | 5 | 8 | Soul named by Dante in Purgatorio; he delivers a doctrinal explanation in Canto XXI and appears alongside Virgil and Dante at several points in Purgatorio. |
| Stricca | Unclassified | 1 | 1 | Character cited by Capocchio in the tenth bolgia as an example of a Sienese who was not vain because of his moderate spending. |
| Thais | Mythological | 1 | 1 | Thais is remembered by Dante in the Inferno as the whore who answered her lover when he called her; her name is uttered by a sinner in the eighth ditch. |
| Thales | Unclassified | 1 | 1 | Ancient Greek philosopher from Miletus, placed by Dante in Limbo among the great spirits in Canto IV of the Inferno, indicated in the tradition with the form 'Thales'. |
| Tomyris | Historical | 1 | 1 | Historical figure recalled by Dante in Purgatorio, known for having avenged the death of Cyrus upon the Persians. |
| Thebans | Mythological | 1 | 1 | People of ancient Thebes who, in Dante's verses, witness the earth opening before the eyes of the seer-king Amphiaraus during the siege of Thebes. |
| Tegghiaio Aldobrandi | Unclassified | 1 | 1 | Florentine citizen cited by Cacciaguida among the figures of the "good old times" of Florence, recalled in the verses of Canto XVI of the Inferno for the voice resounding in the world. |
| Themis | Deity | 1 | 1 | Themis is mentioned by Dante in Purgatorio XXXIII in a simile that compares the rapidity of Beatrice's questions to that between Themis and the Sphinx. |
| Theseus | Mythological | 2 | 2 | Greek hero recalled by Dante as a mythological exemplum: in Inferno IX he is cited for his descent into the realm of the dead together with Hercules, in Purgatorio XXIV he is recalled for the clash with the Centaurs at the wedding of Pirithous. |
| Tydeus | Mythological | 1 | 1 | Theban hero recalled by Dante in Canto XXXII of the Inferno as a term of comparison for the ferocity of the damned who devour one another. |
| Typhoeus | Mythological | 2 | 2 | Typhoeus, a giant of classical mythology, is mentioned by Dante in Paradiso VIII in relation to Sicily, the Trinacria shrouded in smoke. |
| Tiresias | Mythological | 2 | 2 | Ancient Theban seer, father of Manto, whom Dante recalls as having been changed in sex after striking two intertwined serpents. |
| Thisbe | Mythological | 1 | 1 | Young Babylonian protagonist, with Pyramus, of the Ovidian myth of thwarted love and death by the mulberry tree. |
| Tisiphone | Mythological | 1 | 1 | One of the Furies of Greek mythology, here called Tesifón; in Canto IX of the Inferno Virgil indicates her as the central figure among the three sisters. |