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The Inferno · Chapter
Epigraph explained
The epigraph quotes a Latin phrase attributed to St.
What happens
The epigraph quotes a Latin phrase attributed to St. Remigius, urging the proud Segambre to bow his head, worship what he has burned, and burn what he has worshipped, setting a tone of conversion and reversal.
Themes in this chapter
Religion and Spiritual Crisis
The epigraph directly invokes religious conversion, commanding a reversal of worship and destruction, which echoes themes of spiritual crisis and transformation.
Key passages
“Courbe la tête fier Segambre; adore ce qui tu as brûlé; brûle ce qui tu as adoré!”
Bow your head, proud Segambre; worship what you have burned; burn what you have worshipped!
This is a direct translation of the Latin epigraph, attributed to St. Remigius, symbolizing a command to abandon past beliefs and embrace a new faith.