Monday, 30 March 2015

9th Circle – Neptune – 864 Laws - (368)

Traitors

After passing over the tenth or innermost concentric bolgia or ditch of the eighth circle Dante and Virgil arrive at the centre of the eighth circle to find a great well or pit. At the bottom of the pit is the ninth and final circle of hell, named Cocytus. Dante discovers that inside the pit are the giants and titans of the past standing guard over those in the ninth circle. Virgil persuades on of them to take them both down into the ninth circle.

The ninth circle is a huge frozen lake where those who were treacherous to those whom they were bound by special ties are fixed frozen in the lake. Dante describes the lake as having four concentric circles which represent four classes of treachery.

The four classes of treachery:

1.            Caina                     (those who were treacherous against the members of own their blood)
2.            Antenora             (those who were treacherous against their country)
3.            Ptolomea             (those who were treacherous toward their guests and friends)
4.            Judecca                 (those who were treacherous toward their masters)


At the very centre of the ninth circle Dante and Virgil find Satan or the Typhon Baphomet and they climb down his hairy back to leave hell.



Caina

The first circle of Caina is named after Cain who slew his brother Abel. Those in the circle of Caina are those who betrayed members of their own blood. They have their necks and heads out of the ice and can bow their heads to avoid the freezing gale and allow their tears to fall without freezing their eyes shut.

Antenora

The second circle or round of the ninth circle is Antenora named after Antenor who was believed to have betrayed troy, his city to the Greeks. Those in this circle are those who betrayed their country. They have their heads and necks above the ice but can not bow their heads.

Ptolomea

The third circle or round of the ninth circle is Ptolomea named after Ptolomaeus of Maccabees who murdered his father-in-law at a banquet. Those in this circle are those who betrayed their guests or were treacherous toward hospitality. They have their heads half frozen in the ice and their tears freeze in their eyes sealing them shut. The comfort of tears is denied to them. Here Dante says that this type of treachery is so grave that those who commit it are sent straight away to this circle even being alive. Their bodies remain on earth living but inhabited by a demon.

Judecca

Judecca is the last round or circle of the ninth circle and is named after Judas Iscariot, those who betrayed their masters. They lie distorted in very painful positions and completely frozen and sealed in the ice. They can not speak.

In this round is also Satan himself fixed to the ice at a position where all the rivers of guilt meet. He is there beating his wings trying to escape but the wind from his wins freezes him further to the ice. He has three faces, each with a different colour and each mouth there is someone being ripped constantly by his teeth. Judas Iscariot is in the centre mouth, Brutus and Cassius in the other two mouths.  



Summary

Before reading this from Dante and Master Samael I didn’t really think that treachery was so bad. But thinking about it, it certainly really is. It is the maximum of going against something or someone and it is so ungrateful because in all the cases of treachery, the person who betrays is actually receiving many benefits including the benefit of trust from the party that he or she betrays.

I think that it is not treachery when we you betray the party that who belong to because they are going to do something very wrong. That is rather tricky if you do it and they do not know about it, that is a form of treachery but on the other hand you are working for a greater good. Certainly if you tell them before you do it, I think that it is not treachery. It is amazing how speaking, that is just a couple of words can change the whole situation from something belonging to the 9th sphere to something belonging to the 5th or 7th sphere.

End (368).

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