The Siege of the City of Dis

Dante and Virgil arrive at the gates of the City of Dis, but the fallen angels and the Furies bar their entry. More than a thousand devils rain down from Heaven, demanding that Virgil come alone and Dante return by his mad road. Virgil reassures Dante and goes to parley, but the devils close the gates in his face. He returns with downcast eyes, but declares he will conquer the trial. The three Furies—Megaera, Alecto, and Tisiphone—appear on the tower, tearing their breasts and calling for Medusa to turn Dante to stone. Virgil covers Dante's eyes to protect him from the Gorgon. Suddenly, a heavenly messenger walks across the Styx with unwet feet, rebukes the devils, and opens the gate with a little rod. Dante and Virgil enter the city, where they see an open plain filled with flaming tombs. Virgil explains that these are the heresiarchs and their followers. This episode dramatizes the resistance of evil to divine grace and the ultimate power of Heaven.