The Inferno
Dante
Translated by Jean Hollander; comments and editing by Robert Hollander & Jean Hollander's
c. 2000
DDS: 851.1 DAN
The Princeton Dante Project.
From the introduction, page xvii, Robert Hollander & Jean Hollander's verse translation of Dante's The Inferno, c. 2000, DDS 851.1 DAN:
Dante seems completely aware of the radical newness of a lady loaded with such lofty theological meaning in the tradition of vernacular poetry of love.From wiki:
In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas (possibly derived from Greek αἰνή meaning "praised") was a Trojan hero, the son of the prince Anchises and the goddess Venus (Aphrodite).
His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy (both being grandsons of Ilus, founder of Troy), making Aeneas a second cousin to Priam's children (such as Hector and Paris).
He is a character in Greek mythology and is mentioned in Homer's Iliad.
Aeneas receives full treatment in Roman mythology, most extensively in Virgil's Aeneid where he is an ancestor of Romulus and Remus. He became the first true hero of Rome.
Introduction:
17 pages; very, very good; lays out the story, background, etc
I will come back to this again
Inferno I
begins his story, "midway in the journey of our life" -- he found himself in a dark wood; he was lost. The nature of the wood has terrified him. He is so terrified, death is not much worse.
Does not know how he got to this state.
But then looked up a hill; saw a light; and, no longer afraid.
Turned to look back; noted no mortal being yet alive in the pass he had just traversed.
As he was climbing, met in succession, a leopard, a lion, and then a she-wolf.
In response, he turned and fled to a lower place.
Runs into a stranger, who says his parents were from Lombardy; Mantua was their homeland. Manuta is the capital of Lombardy, a province in the far north - central area of Italy (the Alps?).
He, the stranger, says he was born sub Julio (I assume under Julius Caesar), though late in his time; lived in Rome, under "good" Augustus, in an age of false and lying gods.
Augustus founded the Roman Empire; he was the adopted son of Julius Caesar.
The stranger says he was a poet. As a poet, he told (sung) the story of Anchises (father of Aeneas and a member of the royal family of Troy).
The stranger asks Dante why he is fleeing to a lower place, from the peak that gives delight, origin and the cause of every joy.
Aha! Dante asks the stranger, "Are you Virgil?" Wow!
Virgil: 70 - 19 BC. (Dante Aligheri: late Middle Ages, 1300 AD).
Dante tells Virgil that Virgil is his only teacher, only author.
Virgil tells Dante he must take a different path. The leopard, lion, she-wolf (may have been one, changelings) -- no one can defeat it except a hound that will come later. The hound will be the salvation of low-lying Italy, for which maiden Camilla, Euryalus, Turnus, and Nisus died of their wounds. -- line 106 - 108.
The hound will hunt the beast until the beast is sent back to Hell (whence primal envy set her loose).
Virgil says he will be Dante's guide to that other path, which will lead Dante from "here" to an eternal place where you shall hear despairing cries and see those ancient souls in pain as they bewail their second death.
Then you will see the ones who are content to burn because they hope to come among the blessed (think of the Urnfield culture).
Virgil says that at that point he will depart Dante but leave him with another guide, a "her." He, Virgil, can not go to the top of the mountain because Virgil was a rebel to that Emperor. Dante says he wants Virgil (and then the new guide) to take him to Saint Peter's gate.
They then set out.
Then a 9-page discussion follows.
No more notes here. I will follow this in my private notes.
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