The Divine Comedy: Inferno Canto 4

Dante find himself in Limbo, which is the first circle of hell reserved for the unbaptized. Virtuous pagans unknown to Christ occupy this place: Homer, Horace, Ovid, Lucan and Dante’s guide, Virgil. Dante asks Virgil if any have left this place based on their own merit. Virgil claims that only those that died before Christ’s descent to Hell were eligible to leave.

After meeting the five great minds of Limbo, Dante claims that “they honored me for they made me of their number, so that I was a sixth amid such intelligences.” I am unsure if Dante is claiming that 1) the spirits are kind enough to make him feel at home or 2) the spirits endear themselves to Dante because they believe he is truly one of the six great minds of history. Dante’s self-aggrandizement is obvious and the footnotes of my book mention that Dante was never recognized as a modest man.

Popularity: 4% [?]