Mythological Allusions in The Divine Comedy

Inferno - Canto V

There mark'd I Helen, for whose sake so long

The time was fraught with evil; there the great

Achilles, who with love fought to the end.

Paris I saw, and Tristan; and beside,

A thousand more he show'd me, and by name

Pointed them out, whom love bereaved of life.

Inferno -- Canto XII

To whom my guide: “Our answer shall be made

To Chiron, there, when nearer him we come.

Ill was thy mind, thus ever quick and rash.”

Then me he touch'd and spake: “Nessus is this,

Who for the fair Deianira died,

And wrought himself revenge7 for his own fate.

He in the midst, that on his breast looks down,

Is the great Chiron who Achilles nursed;

That other, Pholus, prone to wrath.” Around

The foss these go by thousands, aiming shafts

At whatsoever spirit dares emerge

From out the blood, more than his guilt allows.

Inferno -- Canto XXVI

Ulysses there and Diomede endure

Their penal tortures, thus to vengeance now

Together hasting, as erewhile to wrath

These in the flame with ceaseless groans deplore

The ambush of the horse,3 that open'd wide

A portal for the goodly seed to pass,

Which sow'd imperial Rome; nor less the guile

Lament they, whence, of her Achilles ‘reft,

Deidamia yet in death complains.

And there is rued the stratagem that Troy

Of her Palladium spoil'd” - “If they have power

Of utterance from within these sparks,” said I,

“O master! think my prayer a thousand - fold

In repetition urged, that thou vouchsafe

To pause till here the horned flame arrive.

See, how toward it with desires I bend.”

Inferno -- Canto XXXI

The Poets, following the sound of a loud horn, are led by it to the ninth circle, in which there are four rounds, one enclosed within the other, and containing as many sorts of traitors; but the present Canto shows only that the circle is encompassed with Giants, one of whom. Antaeus, takes them both in his arms and places them at the bottom of the circle.

The very tongue, whose keen reproof before

Had wounded me, that either cheek was stain'd,

Now minister'd my cure. So have I heard,

Achilles' and his father's javelin caused

Pain first, and then the boon of health restored.

Purgatory -- Canto IX

To pounce upon the prey.” Therewith, it seem'd,

A little wheeling in his aery tour,

Terrible as the lightning, rush'd he down,

And snatch'd me upward even to the fire.

There both, I thought, the eagle and myself

Did burn; and so intense the imagined flames,

That needs my sleep was broken off. As erst

Achilles shook himself, and round him roll'd

His waken'd eyeballs, wondering where he was,

Whenas his mother had from Chiron fled

To Scyros, with him sleeping in her arms;

There whence the Greeks did after sunder him;

E'en thus I shook me, soon as from my face

The slumber parted, turning deadly pale,

Like one ice - struck with dread.

Purgatory -- Canto XXI

So passing sweet

My vocal spirit; from Tolosa, Rome

To herself drew me, where I merited

A myrtle garland to inwreathe my brow.

Statius they name me still. Of Thebes I sang,

And next of great Achilles; but i' the way

Fell with the second burden.