The Divine Comedy (Inferno VIII-IX), by Dante Alighieri

<p>The city of Dis, within the gates of Hell, was guarded by monsters and surrounded by a moat filled with the tormented. Dante, protected by Virgil, entered the forbidden city, and viewed sights never before seen by living man. (Volume 20, Harvard Classics)</p> <p>Dante urges attack on the city of Florence, April 16, 1311.</p> <p> </p>