The Second Circle of Hell: Lust
Lust is the second circle of Dante's Hell, described in Canto V. It holds those who let desire overrule reason. The punishment: blown forever on a black wind that never rests.
The punishment
Blown forever on a black wind that never rests.
In life they were carried away by passion, so in death the storm carries them — no ground, no stopping, no say in where they go.
Who guards it
Minos, who judges each soul by coiling his tail.
Who Dante puts here
Named residents of the second circle include:
- Francesca da Rimini and Paolo
- Cleopatra
- Helen of Troy
- Dido
- Achilles
- Tristan
The modern read
The circle for the serial texter, the one who reopens the dating app in the parking lot of the date they are still on.
Sending someone to Lust
The friend whose romantic decisions are a spectator sport for everyone who knows them.
Damnation Vacation sells a numbered, permanent plot in one of Dante's nine circles of Hell. You pay $6.66, pick who it's for, name their cardinal sin in twenty characters or fewer, and choose their circle. They get a public gravestone page with their name on it, their plot number, and a counter tracking how many days they've been down there. Lust is Circle II, and it has open plots.
Common questions
What is the second circle of Hell?
Lust, described in Canto V of Dante's Inferno. It holds those who let desire overrule reason, whose punishment is: blown forever on a black wind that never rests.
Which circle of Hell is lust?
The second — Circle II of nine.
Who guards the second circle?
Minos, who judges each soul by coiling his tail.