Virgil, Statius, and our pilgrim, Dante, head up to the seventh and final terrace of Mount Purgatory.

During the climb, Statius engages in a complicated and fascinating discourse on embryology (at least as understood in Dante's medieval learning).

Then we find ourselves standing before a wall of flames with the lustful penitents walking, singing, and shouting as they burn. We discover there are two types of lustful penitents, before our pilgrim and his two guides have to step into the fire.

It's the first time our pilgrim has felt bodily pain over any of the terrors of hell or the penances of the mountain. He comes out on the other side and Virgil declares that our pilgrim is now his own guide, no longer in need of Virgil at all.

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, for this surprising read of the final terrace of PURGATORIO.

If you'd like to help defray the many costs of this podcast, please consider a one-time donation or a very small monthly stipend using this PayPal link right here.

[01:35] My rough English translation of the three cantos: PURGATORIO, Cantos XXV - XXVII.