The Second Terrace: The Envious

Dante and Virgil ascend to the second terrace, where the envious are purged. Their eyes are sewn shut with iron wire, and they wear coarse sackcloth. They lean on each other for support and sit against the bank. Voices in the air cry out examples of charity and generosity. Dante speaks with Sapia of Siena, who confesses her envy and her joy at the defeat of her fellow citizens. She explains that she was saved by the prayers of Pier Pettignano. She asks Dante to restore her good name among her kin. This terrace emphasizes the blindness of envy and the need for charity.