Basic Intro 7.1

Circle 7.1: A Basic Introduction Because of an earlier earthquake, the rock wall that surrounds Circle 7.1 has been shattered, which creates a sort of staircase for Dante and his Guide. The Minotaur (an ancient beast who is half-man, half-bull) guards the border, but it's not too hard to get by him; all you have to do is make him angry, and he gets distracted and you can slip past. Most of the rock here is slate or shale. There is a valley at the bottom of the crumbled wall, and at the bottom of the valley is a river of scalding blood. The river—called the River Phlegethon—grows shallower as it reaches the bank, but then it deepens again. This where people who were violent against their neighbors reside. The more severe their crime, the deeper they are in the boiling river. Centaur archers patrol the banks, so if a sinner attempts to wade into a shallower area, the archers shoot arrows at them. Alexander the Great is up to his eyelashes in the river of blood, and so is Attila the Hun. Other notable sinners include Dionysus (a tyrant of Sicily), Azzolino (another cruel tyrant), Opizzo da Esti (a man who was so evil, he was killed by his own stepson), and Rinier da Corneto and Rinier Pazzo (two bloody highwaymen).