> An angel draws seven P's into Dante's forehead with the point of a
> sword at the base of mountain in Purgatory [canto IX].
I have not been following this thread closely, so apologies if this has
already been mentioned. But I wonder whether there is a reference to or
even just a vague memory of the old Roman practice of tattooing or incising
the crimes of criminals, including Christians, on their foreheads--which,
of course, the Christians turned to a mark of honor. There's an article
about it: "Inscripta in fronte: penal tattooing in late antiquity" by my
colleague, Mark Gustafson, in _Classical Antiquity_ 16 (1997) 79-105.
Best wishes,
MFW
Mark F. Williams
Department of Classics Phone: (616) 957-6293
Calvin College FAX: (616) 957-8551
Grand Rapids, MI 49546 Internet: [log in to unmask]
USA http://www.calvin.edu/academic/clas
"Professor Williams appears to be a human as well as a teacher."
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