INFERNO XXII
INFERNO XXII
1–12. The similetic array of signals for troop movements in battle or for the start of a sporting event, a small catalogue of things and techniques domestic and foreign, is, we remember, the poet’s way of responding to the demonic fart that concluded the last canto and ushered Dante off on his journey under the guidance of the decuria, Malacoda’s squad, now under the control of Barbariccia. Vv. 4–5 are generally taken to refer to the battle of Campaldino in 1289.
This, even if it is not a “true simile,” is the first of eleven canto-opening similes in the poem. See Inferno XXIV.1–18; XXX.1–27; XXXI.1–6; Purgatorio VI.1–12; XVII.1–12; Paradiso IV.1–9; XVII.1–6; XXIII.1–12; XXIX.1–9; XXXI.1–15. [return to English / Italian]
13–15. Professor Kevin Brownlee, in a seminar at Dartmouth College in 1985, suggested that these verses and the atmosphere of the entire scene in XXI and XXII reflect some earmarks of the French fabliau: physical violence, proverbial remarks, animalistic traits, physically stronger characters being bested by cleverer weak ones. For the farcical elements in these cantos see Spitzer (Spit.1942.1 and Spit.1944.1). [return to English / Italian]
19–30. The two similes describe the actions of the barrators in motion and at rest. They only move to relieve their pain for a moment or to duck under the pitch (thus increasing their pain) in order to avoid a hooking by the devils—a pain still more disturbing, as well as embarrassing.
It was apparently a current belief that dolphins approached ships when they sensed that a storm at sea was brewing. [return to English / Italian]
37–39. Dante claims to remember the names as they were called out by Malacoda (Inf. XXI.118–123) and then repeated by various of the demons in the course of the action. [return to English / Italian]
48–54. “Ciampolo, name given by the commentators to a native of Navarre, who … describes himself as a retainer of King Thibault II of Navarre [1253–70], in whose service he practiced [barratry]” (T). About Ciampolo (for “Gian Paolo,” pronounced “Giampolo”) we know nothing except what is furnished by the early commentators. [return to English / Italian]
59–60. Barbariccia, as leader of the troupe, intervenes to allow Virgil the opportunity for further questions. Cirïatto had gored Ciampolo as he dangled from the end of Graffiacane’s hook (vv. 55–57). Now Barbariccia extends his long arms around the place where the pitchy sinner stands to ward the others off: he wants Ciampolo for himself. (This view and our translation respect the readings of the details of this passage and of v. 123 in the Bosco/Reggio commentary.) [return to English / Italian]
64–66. Virgil wants to know, on behalf of Dante, whether there are other Italians in the pitch. The word latino, while it may of course mean “Latin,” more frequently in Dante means “Italian,” as in Conv. IV.xxviii.8, where Guido da Montefeltro is referred to as “lo nobilissimo nostro latino” (the most noble of us Italians). See also Purg. XI.58 and Purg. XIII.92. [return to English / Italian]
67. Ciampolo says that he has come from one who hails from a place near Italy; as we shall learn (v. 82), he speaks of Sardinia. [return to English / Italian]
70–75. Two devils can barely be restrained; indeed, before Barbariccia once again asserts his authority, allowing Virgil yet another question, Libicocco succeeds in giving Ciampolo a second wound (see vv. 55–57 for Cirïatto’s earlier thrust into his flesh). [return to English / Italian]
81–87. “Frate Gomita, Sardinian friar who, having been appointed [ca. 1294] chancellor or deputy of Nino Visconti of Pisa, judge of Gallura, abused his position to traffic in the sale of public offices. Nino turned a deaf ear to all complaints against him until he discovered that the friar had connived at the escape of certain prisoners who were in his keeping, whereupon Nino had him hanged forthwith” (T). For Nino see note to Inf. XXXIII.1–3. [return to English / Italian]
88. “Michael Zanche, Governor of Logodoro in Sardinia; he seems to have acted as intendant for Enzio, natural son of the Emperor Frederick II, who received the title of King of Sardinia on his marriage with Adelasia di Torres, heiress of Logodoro and Gallura; after Adelasia’s divorce from Enzio, Michael married her, and assumed the government of the Sardinian provinces, which he retained until c. 1290, when he was murdered by Branca d’Oria of Genoa (Inf. XXXII.137)” (T). Toynbee’s data, based on indications found in the early commentators, is currently treated with some caution. [return to English / Italian]
91–96. Once again the conversation between Ciampolo and Virgil is interrupted by the devils’ vicious sport, with order being maintained only by Barbariccia’s firm insistence. De Robertis has noted the parallels between Ciampolo and the protagonist as objects of the devils’ attention (DeRo.1981.1, p. 3). [return to English / Italian]
97–99. As crafty as his keepers, Ciampolo uses Dante and Virgil to set up his countermeasures, offering to bring to the surface barrators who will speak their language, Tuscans and Lombards (he has evidently caught the linguistic marks of their birthplaces in their accents). Dante, of course, is variously recognized as a Tuscan from his speech, but it comes as something of a surprise when we discover Virgil actually speaking in Lombard dialect (Inf. XXVII.20–21). [return to English / Italian]
100–123. The game Ciampolo devises involves the following ploys on his part and reactions by the Malebranche: (1) Ciampolo’s cleverly indirect invitation to the devils to withdraw so as not to frighten off (putative) emergent Tuscans and Lombards whom he, sitting down to show his own apparent good faith, will whistle up if there are no devils visible; (2) Cagnazzo’s understanding that this is a ruse; (3) Ciampolo’s countermove: “But you must give them room. Do you think I would cause my fellow-sufferers still greater suffering?” (of course he would!); (4) Alichino’s being won over by Ciampolo’s wiles, mainly because he is so eager for a fight, whether Ciampolo is tricking them or not; he gets all his mates, even the suspicious Cagnazzo (and Barbariccia, we must surmise), to move down behind the ridge so as not to be visible from the pitch and challenges Ciampolo to try to escape him, if he dare; (5) Ciampolo’s dive from the ridge as he makes good his escape. The rhythm of this central action in Canto XXII parallels that in the previous canto, in which two observers have entirely different interpretations of the same phenomena. Cagnazzo and Alichino here respectively play the parts of Dante and Virgil in the previous scene: Cagnazzo and Dante discern the motives of Ciampolo and the devils, respectively, while Alichino and Virgil do not.
At v. 123 we have translated the noun proposto as “designs,” i.e., “intention,” as Bosco/Reggio argue in their comment to this verse. [return to English / Italian]
124–144. The postlude to Ciampolo’s escape also is filled with action: (1) Alichino speeds after the Navarrese but cannot catch up with him; (2) Calcabrina takes out his rage on Alichino, whose gullibility led to the loss of their plaything; (3) they both fall into the pitch. [return to English / Italian]
145–150. Barbariccia directs four of his band to fly across to the other side of the ditch as part of a rescue mission, while he and the remaining three extend their hooks from the top of the bank, which the ten had hidden behind, in a mutual effort to pull their fallen comrades from the gluey pitch. [return to English / Italian]
151. Virgil and Dante seize the occasion to escape. [return to English / Italian]