Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Book ·12 of 348
"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."
They never said that.
What people say
"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."
What was actually said
Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate. — Leave behind every hope, you who enter. Inscription on the Gate of Hell — Dante Alighieri, Inferno III.9 (c. 1308–1320)
Why it stuck
Dante's Italian uses "ogne" — every, not "all." The "ye" is a Victorian translator's flourish; the original is second-person plural, neutral register.
Henry Francis Cary's 1814 English translation cemented the popular form.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.