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Dante Alighieri: On the Road Again


 Someone at Quora asked, "Who Would Dante Alighieri Find in Hell if He Could Write the Divine Comedy Nowadays?" 

I liked my answer to that, so I'll give it again here, with some slight stylistic improvements. It is probably an appropriate subject for the long Thanksgiving weekend. Let us Americans give thanks for our recent rescue from autocracy.  

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Napoleon Bonaparte would definitely be in one of the lower circles. Perhaps in the lowest.

After all: much of Dante’s work is motivated by the conviction that the Roman Empire (which he saw as continuous with the Holy Roman Empire of his own time) has a special part in salvation history, and thus is the ordained government of this world. Defiance of the Emperor was treason against God. This is why Brutus and Judas are together at the very center of hell, being forever chewed by the teeth of Satan. Brutus, as much as Judas though in a different manner, committed treason against God.

Now, for several reasons, you might think this odd. The Roman Empire (the original one!) earned its blessed place in salvation history by executing the incarnation of God. It seems on its face that Pilate would be a better candidate for the very center of hell than Brutus, more of a co-offender with Judas. Yet Pilate is treated almost generously in Dante’s scheme — in hell, but only barely, and for cowardice rather than malice or treachery. Pilate, and for that matter the Centurions who drove the nails through Jesus' hands, were embodying the Roman Empire — decades after Brutus had treacherously sought to prevent the first Caesar from making it a monarchy. Brutus tried (futilely of course) to put sand in the gears of divine destiny — Judas the same. Pilate (unintentionally of course) WAS one of the gears.

As I say, one might think Dante's severity toward Judas and his lenience toward Pilate rather odd.

Another reason one might think Dante’s political views odd at first blush is that, if one really wanted to look around in 1300 or so for a fitting successor to the Imperial monarchy that Pilate served, one would perhaps more naturally look to Constantinople. Dante certainly knew there was an Emperor there, but was dismissive of that Empire’s claims to be THE Empire, for no reason better than geographical favoritism.

All this brings us back to Bonaparte, and my answer to your question. Bonaparte forced the abdication of the final Holy Roman Emperor, bringing an end to the blessed old institution at last. Dante would have been aghast. Into Satan’s jaw for him.

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