San Benedetto dell'Alpe a monastery close to Florence.
San Giovianni church that Dante attended.
Santa Zita the Patron Saint of Lucca.
Sardinia Italian island in the Mediterranean, south of Corsica; or the region of Italy comprising this island and small nearby islands.
Sassol Macheroni appointed as guardian of his nephew and murdered him to get the inheritance.
Semele daughter of King Cadmus of Thebes.
Semiramis Babalonian Legend. a queen of Assyria noted for her beauty, wisdom, and sexual exploits; reputed founder of Babylon; based on a historical queen of the ninth century b.c.
Seraphim any of the highest order of angels, above the cherubim.
Servent of Servents Boniface VII, Dante's enemy.
Sextus the younger son of Pompeii the Great.
shade the word Dante uses for spirits in Hell.
Sichaeus husband of Dido.
Sicillian bull an instrument of torture in which a person is placed inside a brass bull that is then placed over a fire; holes cut in the bull emit the tortured's cries, sounding like a bull.
Silvestro Pope who took refuge from Constantine during the persecutions of the Christians; later, he is said to have cured Constantine of leprosy.
Simon Magus a magician from whom the word "simony" is derived; tried to buy the rights and power to administer the Holy Ghost.
Simonists persons involved in the buying or selling of sacred or spiritual things, as sacraments or benefices.
Slides of Mark near Trent on the left bank of the river Adige about two miles from Roverto.
Sodom Bible. a city destroyed by fire together with a neighboring city, Gomorrah, because of the sinfulness of the people: Genesis 18 and 19.
spleen malice; spite; bad temper.
Strophades the island where the Harpies live.
Styx The River of Hate; in Inferno, a terrible marsh where the Wrathful and Sullen reside.
sub Julio during the reign of Julius Caesar.
sweet season of commemoration Easter.
sycophants persons who seek favor by flattering people of wealth or influence.
Tartar or Turk Tartars and Turks were the great weavers of Dante's time.
Tegghiaio Aldobrandi a knight and a Guelph noble.
That one before God's Altar pierced a heart Guy de Montfort, leader of a rebellion against Henry III.
the second death a soul's damnation.
The Second Frederick The Emperor Frederick II.
Thebans citizens of Thebes, one of the chief cities of ancient Greece.
Theseus Greek legend. the principal hero of Attica, son of Aegeus, and king of Athens; famed especially for his killing of the Minotaur; tried to kidnap Hecate.
Tiresias Greek Mythology. a blind soothsayer of Thebes.
Tisiphone Greek and Roman Mythology. one of the three Furies.
Toppo a river near Arezzo in Italy.
Tristan Arthurian Legend. a knight sent to Ireland by King Mark of Cornwall to bring back the princess Isolde to be the king's bride. Isolde and Tristan fall in love and tragically die together.
Troy ancient Phrygian city in Troas, NW Asia Minor; scene of the Trojan War.
True Way the way of God.
Ulysses the hero of Homer's Odyssey; a king of Ithaca and one of the Greek leaders in the Trojan War.
