Who was Virgil?
- Virgil is the writer of the epic poem the Aeneid (29- 19 BC). Virgil wrote the poem as a piece of propaganda for the Roman Emperor Augustus. The epic is about the founding of Rome. Virgil narrates the journey of the Trojan Aeneas after the defeat of Troy, and Aeneas' role as a catalyst in what he will begin as the founding of Rome.
- It is clear that Virgil was influenced by the Ancient Greek poet Homer, who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey (estimated to be written in the 8th or 9th century BC).
The Iliad was about the war between the Greeks and the Trojans sparked by Paris a Trojan prince. Paris stole the wife of the Greek King Melenaos and this was the catalyst for the Trojan War which led to ten years of bloodshed and destruction between many Greek poleis (city states) and Troy.
The plot of the Odyssey describes Odysseus' journey back from Troy and how he experiences a struggle to get back to Ithaca to his wife Penelope and his son.
Virgil therefore wrote the Aeneid encompassing the structure of both Homer's epic poems using Books 1-6 to mirror the structure of the Odyssey and Books 7-12 to mirror the structure of the Iliad and the war and destruction to found Rome.
- Virgil was influenced by Homer and it becomes clear that Dante was heavily influenced by Virgil.
The Role of Virgil in Dante's Inferno
- Virgil has the role of a guide and teacher in Dante's Inferno taking him through the physical geography of Hell, as well as using a didactic method, trying to teach and lecture Dante in each canto.
- Virgil appears to provoke every "guardian" in which he and Dante encounter. Virgil keeps Dante safe by ensuring they get past all of the "guardians".
- Virgil is often called "father" by Dante, and Dante "son" by Virgil. This relationship therefore conveys the focus of learning, serving Dante's aim of the Inferno being a didactic piece of literature. Dante may have got this idea of the father and son relationship from Virgil's Aeneid, as father and son relationships are a key theme in the poem, represented in many cases and most importantly the relationship between Aeneas and Pallas. Aeneas is entrusted by Pallas' biological father Evander to take care of Palls and mentor and teach him the ways of battle.
Why Virgil?
To begin it seems bizarre that Dante would choose Virgil to take him through the spiritual journey of Hell as Virgil was not a Christian and had never known God. Virgil is technically a sinner and should be in Limbo with the other great classicists. Although Virgil is a Pagan, Dante chose Virgil to guide him through Hell as he is a renown and well respected classical poet, who is resonant for his great work the Aeneid. Dante valued the main theme of the Aeneid; piety. Thus, expanding on the idea of not only showing love for God, but love for ones family and country. Dante took many of his ideas from the great classicists and has proven to be very influential in his writing of the Divine Comedy. Despite Virgil taking Dante on this journey, Virgil becomes more detached from Dante as they climb higher and higher into hell.
However, it is this reason, Virgil having not known of the existence of God as he was alive during a Pagan era that Virgil is exempt. Not only is the Divine Comedy a spiritual journey it is also a physical journey, serving a didactic purpose. The Divine Comedy's main aim is to teach.
Virgil takes a step back and allows Dante to discover the unpleasant and horrific realities of hell, but never lets him get hurt on this journey.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE CLASSICS IN DANTE'S INFERNO