Ancient World

In the episode we learn about six important historical figures, as examples of the Just Rulers! King David, Emperor Trajan, King Hezekiah, Emperor Constantine, King William II, and the Trojan Hero Ripheus.

Dante is with this also uniting two Jewish Kings, two Christians, and two Pagans from the Jewish, Greek and Roman traditions into a unity of Good Rule.

Canto twenty is the last one from the three "active lives" spheres of Knowledge, Warriors, and Rulers - which lead to the next sphere of Saturn, with the Contemplatives.

Thanks for listening,

and enjoy!

In the episode the Eagle is flying in circles over Dante, and answering his questions about the nature of Justice, and some profound questions in Medieval Theology. We also get nine tercets (3-line units) about historical bad rulers, most of them from the contemporary times in the 12- and 13 hundreds.

In this episode we had our first conversation with a listener of the podcast! Sean also has his own new youtube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtaVPKsU8LLv7ZvXgGez4XQ

..and we had a fantastic conversation about Dante, symbolism, mythologies, creating harmony of the brain hemispheres, and the journey towards better understanding the deep mysteries of life.

This is the first part of the talk.

Enjoy!

After Dante's learning of his future in canto 17, his great-great Grandfather Cacciaguida points out some of the other big Warrior Souls in the big Greek Cross above them, and then blends into the Cross himself with more music.

Dante then sees the silvery Jupiter around him, and slowly a giant Eagle takes shapes above them, as a symbol of Divine Justice and the Empire.

This canto has some of the most beautiful visual poetry in the whole Paradise, when the souls and lights transform in the sparkling sight of a giant Eagle. And the feeling is more powerful than before on the journey - as Dante is getting closer to the highest Heavens. He is still learning, and sees his spiritual knowledge expanding through the intensity of the lights, and the beauty of Beatrice.

Enjoy!

:D

In this canto Dante is finally asking the big question the is burning within him like a flame - about what his future holds. Cacciaguida can reveal that he will be thrown out of his beloved city, but the he will write a great work, that will be nutriment for centuries to come.

In this episode we get a detailed history and general themes from the history of Florence in the 12th and 13th century. Dante is lamenting the fall of Florence from its glorious days and more simple times, but pointing to the cycle of things - in some ways being prophetic about the extraordinary cultural and artistic renewal in Florence in the 14 and 15 hundreds, and the heights of the Florentine Renaissance!

In this episode a Light approaches Dante and starts speaking in Latin. This turns out to be his great-great grandfather, Cacciaguida, the father of Alighiero (who is in Purgatory). He represents strength and endurance in this sphere, and tells us about the story of the Old Florence and his life as a warrior.

Overall themes are the generosity of true love vs. the immoralities of the self-serving love, music as a divine language, and the centrality of lineage and heritage.

Enjoy!

In this episode we'll go briefly through the first five levels of Angelical Beings, talk about two key points from Dante's letter to his Patron Can Grande della Scala of Verona, and have a look at the entrance and first experiences in the Sphere of Mars!

The mood is changing in deep ways after the lower three spheres, and after the Sphere of Knowledge (from September), we are now arriving at the Sphere of Warriors in Canto 14. In this heaven the music is becoming more important as a source of beauty, and as the language of the Divine.

Thanks for listening,

and enjoy!

In the episode we are going through canto 9 in detail, where Dante is using the passionate atmosphere for his personal attacks on the Popes, the Vatican, and the contemporary rulers of Florence. We also meet Cunizza from a powerful Medieval family in North of Italy, and the poet Folquet of Marseillies who was devoted to a passionate and amorous life as younger, but then later became a religious figure and the Bishop of Toulouse.

In this episode we'll meet a personal acquaintance of Dante, the son of King Charles II of Naples, King Charles Martel of Anjou. They are very likely to have met in person in real life in Florence during Martel's 20 days visit in 1294. Charles was 23 years at the time, already the King of Hungary, and heir to Naples, Sicily, Puglia and Provence.