Lay down all hope, you that go in by me . . .

Through the gates of Hell, past whirling hurricanes, leering devils and riversof blood, lies the ultimate evil: Satan himself. Masterfully translated byDorothy L. Sayers, this first instalment ofThe Divine Comedytellsthe captivating tale of Dante and Virgils arduous journey through the ninecircles of the underworld, and remains one of the most influential works inliterary history.

About the Author

Dante Alighieri was born in 1265 in Florence. His family, ofminor nobility, was not wealthy nor especially distinguished; his mother diedwhen he was a child, his father before 1283.

At about the age of 20 he married Gemma Donati, by whom hehad three children. Little is known of Dante’s formal education-it is likely tohave included study with the Dominicans, the Augustinians, and the Franciscansin Florence, and at the university in Bologna.

In 1295 he entered Florentine politics and in the summer of1300 he became one of the six governing Priors of Florence. In 1301, thepolitical situation forced Dante and his party into exile.

For the rest of his life he wandered through Italy, perhapsstudied at Paris, while depending for refuge on the generosity of variousnobles.

He continued to write and at some point late in life he tookasylum in Ravenna where he completed the Divine Commedia and died, much