“And persons had sunk down there in the shade behind the rock, like those whose indolence is by their posture shown”
. . . . .
Belacqua was a friend of Dante’s from Florence, known both for his wit and his laziness. On this second terrace of Purgatory, Dante finds those, like Belacqua, who remained within the Church’s fold but who nevertheless delayed repentance for their sins until the last possible moment of life—in this case, out of sheer laziness and procrastination. They’re now forced to remain idle for the length of time they initially delayed.