The three traitors in Satan's mouth, as depicted in Dante Alighieri's Inferno, are Judas Iscariot, Marcus Junius Brutus, and Gaius Cassius Longinus. These figures are consigned to the deepest, frozen circle of Hell, Cocytus, eternally chewed by Lucifer for their profound acts of betrayal.
Dante Alighieri's Vision of Betrayal
In Canto 34 of Dante's epic poem Inferno, the deepest part of Hell is revealed, where Lucifer (Satan) is frozen from the waist down in a lake of ice. Lucifer is depicted with three faces and three mouths, each gnawing on one of history's most infamous traitors. Dante's choice of these three individuals reflects his understanding of the gravest betrayals: those against spiritual authority and against temporal authority, specifically against empire, which he viewed as divinely ordained.
The Three Arch-Traitors
Dante selects these three individuals because their acts of betrayal, in his view, had the most catastrophic consequences for humanity and divine order.
| Traitor | Betrayal | Historical/Biblical Context |
|---|---|---|
| Judas Iscariot | Betrayal of Jesus Christ | Biblical history |
| Marcus Junius Brutus | Betrayal and assassination of Julius Caesar | Roman history |
| Gaius Cassius Longinus | Betrayal and assassination of Julius Caesar | Roman history |
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot is singled out for the central mouth, enduring the worst torment. His crime was the betrayal of Jesus Christ, leading to Christ's crucifixion. In Dante's theological framework, this act represented the ultimate betrayal of divine love and spiritual authority, making him the supreme traitor. He is the betrayer of the spiritual head.
Marcus Junius Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus is one of the two traitors chewed in Lucifer's side mouths. He was a leading figure in the conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar, a pivotal event in Roman history. For Dante, Caesar represented the rightful secular authority and the foundation of the Roman Empire, which he believed was ordained by God to bring peace and order to the world. Brutus's betrayal of Caesar was thus a betrayal against the established temporal order. He is considered the betrayer of the imperial head.
Gaius Cassius Longinus
Gaius Cassius Longinus, often referred to simply as Cassius, shares a side mouth with Brutus. He was another principal orchestrator and leader in the plot to murder Julius Caesar. Like Brutus, his betrayal of Caesar was seen as an act against the legitimate secular power, disrupting the course of history and undermining the potential for a divinely guided empire. He too is considered a betrayer of the imperial head.
These three figures represent the most egregious forms of treachery in Dante's worldview, embodying the ultimate betrayal of either divine or earthly authority. Their eternal punishment by Lucifer himself underscores the gravity of their sins within the moral and theological structure of The Divine Comedy. For more details on this depiction, see the Columbia University Digital Dante's analysis of Inferno 34.
