Read The Portable Dante Online
Authors: Dante Alighieri
The Portable Dante (62 page)
With this your first question is answered now, but I have answered it in such a way that I am forced to add on something more | 30 |
to make it plain to you how little cause have those who move against the sacred standard, be it the ones who claim it or disdain it. | 33 |
Behold what courage consecrated it, the courage which began with that first hour when Pallas died to give it its first realm. | 36 |
You know that for three hundred years and more it stayed in Alba Longa till, at last, the three fought with the three to make it theirs. | 39 |
And you know what it did through seven kings, from Sabine rape up to Lucretia’s woe, as it grew conquering its neighbor’s lands, | 42 |
and you know what it did, borne by the illustrious Romans against Brennus, against King Pyrrhus, against many a prince and government. | 45 |
36. Pallas was the son of Evander, a Greek who had established a kingdom at Latium, the present site of Rome. Evander and Pallas joined Aeneas in his fight against Turnus, and in Aeneas’s victory Pallas was killed.
37-39. Aeneas established the Eagle in Latium, but after his death, his son Ascanius moved it to Alba Longa. There it remained until, during the reign of Tullus Hostilius (670-638 B.C.), the three Curiatii of Alba fought with the three Roman Horatii to determine which city would claim it. In the end, the city of Alba Longa was destroyed, never to be rebuilt, and the Imperial Eagle was restored to Rome.
40-42. After being expelled from Alba, Romulus established a base on one of the seven hills (the Palatine) and recruited a band to raid the Sabines so as to obtain wives. From the resulting settlement, the kingdom of Rome grew through a succession of seven kings who regularly annexed the lands of their neighbors. After this, Sextus, son of the last king, Tarquinius Superbus, violated Lucretia, who subsequently killed herself. The Roman people then overthrew Sextus and established the Republic in 510 B.C.
Torquatus, then, and Quintius (so named for his rough curls), the Decii and the Fabii, all, won the glory I am glad to honor. | 48 |
It brought low all of that Arabian pride that followed Hannibal across the Alps from which you, River Po, make your descent. | 51 |
Under the eagle triumphed in their youth Scipio and Pompey, and it showed its wrath against that hill beneath which you were born. | 54 |
Then, when the time came that all Heaven willed to bring the world to its own harmony Caesar, at Rome’s behest, laid hold of it. | 57 |
46. Titus Manlius Torquatus was dictator twice (in 353 and 349 B.C.) and consul three times (in 347, 344, and 340 B.C.) and led numerous Roman victories. Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus (whose surname, from the Latin
cincinnus,
means “curly” or “shaggy-haired”) was summoned from his farm to become dictator and lead the Roman army against the Aequians in 458 B.C.
47. The Decii were a famous Roman family whose leaders died in the service of Rome for three successive generations (father, son, and grandson, all called Publius Decius Mus). The Fabii, another prominent family, produced a number of well-known Romans, including Fabius Maximus Cunctator (“Delayer”), who was consul five times (233-209 B.C.), and famous for the strategy of delay that he employed in a losing effort against Hannibal at the battle of Lake Trasimene.
49. The “Arabian pride” was the Carthaginians, whose territory was occupied by the Arabs in Dante’s time.
50. The famous Carthaginian general Hannibal (247-ca. 183 B.C.) campaigned in Spain during the Second Punic War and then crossed the Alps into Italy in 218 B.C. After four years of successful fighting there, he moved into Africa, where, in 202 B.C., he was defeated at Zama by Scipio Africanus the Elder.
53. The great Roman general Scipio Africanus the Elder (ca. 235-ca. 183 B.C.) won fame by saving his father’s life in battle against Hannibal at Ticinus in 218 B.C. Scipio was at that time about seventeen years old. Pompey-Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (206-148 B.C.) was one of Sulla’s most effective generals. He was responsible for victories in the African campaign against the faction led by Marius.
54. The hill is Fiesole, which overlooks Florence.
What it did, then, from Var to Rhine, the Seine, Isere and Loire beheld and every vale whose waters flow to fill the river Rhone. | 60 |
Then what it wrought, when from Ravenna’s shore it soared the Rubicon, was such a flight no tongue can tell or pen can write about. | 63 |
It turned to lead its armies into Spain; then toward Dyrrachium, and struck Pharsalia so fiercely that the hot Nile felt the blow. | 66 |
Antandros and Simois, whence it first soared, it saw again, and Hector’s grave, and then, again it sprang to flight—the worse for Ptolemy. | 69 |
On Juba, next, it struck like lightning, then, again it turned round to attack your West in answer to the blast of Pompey’s horn. | 72 |
And what it did with its succeeding chief, Brutus and Cassius wail about in Hell; it made Modena and Perugia grieve. | 75 |
For that, still weeps the tragic Cleopatra, who, fleeing from its conquest, finally clasped the black and sudden viper to her breast. | 78 |
58-60. These lines refer to campaigns of Julius Caesar during the Gallic Wars.
67. Antandros is a coastal town near Troy, and the Simois is a nearby river. When he brought the Eagle to Latium, Aeneas sailed from Antandros. After Pompey’s death Caesar visited Troy, thus occasioning a symbolic visit of the Eagle to its homeland.
68. Hector, the great Trojan hero, who was slain by Achilles, was buried at Troy after the siege.
69. Ptolemy XII was king of Egypt from 51-47 B.C.
70-72. In 46 B.C., Caesar conquered Juba, king of Numidia (in North Africa) and ally of Pompey.
73-75. After Caesar’s murder, his nephew Augustus became emperor, the second bearer (the “succeeding chief”) of the standard.
With him it reached the shore of the Red Sea; with him it ushered in a world-wide peace that kept the gates of Janus’ temple locked. | 81 |
But what this banner, the cause of my words, had done before and what it yet would do throughout the realm it conquered—all of this | 84 |
appear as dim and paltry deeds, if we but see it with clear eyes and honest heart as it appears in the third Caesar’s hand, | 87 |
because the living Justice that inspires me granted it, in the hand of whom I speak, the glory of the vengeance of His wrath. | 90 |
Now marvel at what I shall add to this: later, it sped with Titus to avenge the vengeance taken for the ancient sin; | 93 |
Lombard fangs bit into Holy Church, and under those same wings came marching forth victorious Charlemagne to rescue her. | 96 |
Now you can judge those men that I accused when speaking earlier, and judge their crimes which are the cause of all your present woes. | 99 |
79-81. After Antony’s death, Augustus ruled all the way to the Red Sea, and the empire was at peace. As the gates to the temple of Janus (god of beginnings, porter of heaven, and guardian of all earthly doors and gates) were open continually during wartime, they could now be closed (for only the third time in the history of the empire).
87-90. Tiberius was the third Caesar or bearer of the standard, and during his reign Christ was crucified. This marked the zenith of the Eagle’s flight as an instrument of God’s will, for by the Crucifixion the sin of Adam was expiated. At the same time, the death of Christ was also a sin for which Divine Justice sought vengeance.
92-93. Titus, son and successor of Vespasian, was emperor from A.D. 79 to 81. In A.D. 70, while his father was emperor, Titus destroyed Jerusalem.
94-96. Dante now moves forward seven hundred years and refers to Charlemagne’s defense of the Church against King Desiderius, the Lombard, whom he dethroned in A.D. 774.
97-98. The men are the Guelphs and the Ghibellines alluded to earlier in lines 31-33.
Against the public standard one group sets the yellow lilies; one claims it for its own party flag—and who knows which is worse? | 102 |
Let them, those Ghibellines, let them connive under some other sign, for those who sever justice from it are not true followers! | 105 |
Let not the new Charles trust his Guelphs to tear the banner down! But let him fear those claws that ripped the hides off mightier lions than he. | 108 |
Many a time a father’s sinful deeds are wept for by his sons: let Charles not think his lilies can replace the bird of God. | 111 |
This little star is made more beautiful by valiant souls whose zealous deeds on earth were prompted by desire for lasting fame: | 114 |
the more desire tending toward that goal thus deviating from true love, the less intensely burn the rays that rise toward heaven. | 117 |
To see the perfect balance we have here between reward and merit gives us joy: for we see each commensurate with each. | 120 |
And thus, we feel the sweetness of True Justice so much alive in us our will cannot be warped and made to turn to bitterness. | 123 |
Disparate voices blend into sweet tones; so, in our heavenly life, the disparate ranks produce sweet harmony among these spheres. | 126 |
100-105. The Guelphs supported France, whose standard is the golden lily (fleur-de-lys), against the Eagle. The Ghibellines used the standard of the Eagle as their own sign and for their own purposes.
106. This is Charles II (1248-1309), count of Anjou and Provence, king of Naples and leader of the Guelphs, who were supporters of the Church, as opposed to the Ghibellines, who supported the empire.
Within this pearl there also radiates the radiance of Romeo who accomplished fair, noble deeds that went unrecompensed; | 129 |
those Provencals who worked against him, though, will not laugh last: he who resents the good done by another, walks an evil road. | 132 |
Four daughters had Count Raymond Berenger, each one of them a queen, thanks to Romeo, this man of lowly birth, this pilgrim-soul; | 135 |
but when those envious tongues convinced his lord that he should call this just man to account, this man who had rendered him twelve for ten, | 138 |
Romeo, proudly, old and poor, departed. And could the world know what was in his heart as he went begging, door to door, his bread— | 141 |
though praised today, he would be praised still more. ” |
H
AVING FINISHED HIS
discourse, Justinian begins to sing a Latin hymn; then he and the other souls speed off into the distance like shooting sparks. Beatrice, reading the Pilgrim’s mind, sees that he has a question: how can a just vengeance be justly avenged? She offers to explain. Since mankind sinned through Adam, Christ’s death on the Cross was just punishment insofar as Christ’s human nature is concerned; as far as His Divinity is concerned, the punishment was sacrilegious and unjust. Beatrice sees that her ward has another unexpressed question: why did God choose this particular way to redeem mankind? Because it was the most worthy way, Beatrice says, and explains why: there were two ways in which God could accomplish man’s redemption
—
by means of His
128. This is thought to be Romeo di Villeneuve (1170-1250), a minister of Raymond Berenger IV, the last of the counts of Provence.
Mercy or by means of His Justice. God decided to employ both means, showing His Mercy by taking on the flesh and His Justice by His suffering and death on the Cross. Beatrice then formulates an objection the Pilgrim might have: how can the primary elements created directly by God be corruptible? This would seem to contradict something she had said earlier. She explains that God created only the material, but that the form given to that material is determined by secondary causes, and it is for this reason that they are perishable. Both the human soul and the human body were created directly by God; the fact that the soul is immortal necessitates the resurrection of the body following the Last Judgment.
“Hosanna, sanctus Deus sabaoth superillustrans claritate tua felices ignes horum malacoth” | 3 |
—singing these words, I saw him start to whirl to his own melody, this soul by twin lights fused, en-two-ed into one aureole, | 6 |
and all the others joined him in the dance, and then like shooting sparks they instantly went disappearing into sudden space. | 9 |
I stood there hesitant: “Speak, speak to her!” I told myself: “Speak to your lovely lady who slakes your thirst with her sweet drops of truth. ” | 12 |
But the great awe that dominates my being, even at the mention of just | 15 |
Not long did Beatrice let me suffer before announcing with a glowing smile that would rejoice a man condemned to burn: | 18 |
“My intuition which is never wrong informs me that you do not understand how just vengeance can justly be avenged; | 21 |
1-3. “Hosanna, holy God of hosts, who illumines with your brightness the blessed fires of these realms. ”