Dante's Divine Comedy

In this episode we're having our good friend Tom LA Books back for a conversation about the Big Picture of the Divine Comedy! 

We'll talk about how we can see some of the major themes of this overall picture in the contrast between Ulysses' "Mad Flight" in Inferno, and the beginning of the Journey in Paradiso. We'll also touch on philosophy, theology, psychology, practical life-advice from Dante, how life can change around 30, and countless small points and ideas of wisdom and beauty everywhere in the Comedy.

Catch Tom's next video, and follow the Journey through Paradise!

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A special thanks goes out to our very generous Patrons: Caldazar, Seán Eckmann, Laura Daligan, Michael Leighty, Claudia, Aidan Chavasse and Santheep on patreon.com/ancientworld - thank you!

Join us for an excellent conversation with Dr. Phil Cary, Professor at Eastern University Pennsylvania, about the structure of Dante's Cosmology and the 24 wise people in the sphere of the Sun.

We'll also talk about the movement of the souls, and his favorite moments of wisdom and beauty from the Divine Comedy.

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Dr. Phillip Cary is Professor of Philosophy at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, where he is also Scholar-in-Residence at the Templeton Honors College. After receiving his B.A. in English Literature and Philosophy from Washington University in St. Louis, Professor Cary earned his M.A. in Philosophy and Ph.D. in Philosophy and Religious Studies from Yale University. Professor Cary is a recent winner of the Lindback Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching at Eastern University. He has also taught at Yale University, the University of Connecticut, and the University of Hartford. As the Arthur J. Ennis Post-Doctoral Fellow at Villanova University, he taught the nationally recognized undergraduate Core Humanities seminars on ancient, medieval, Renaissance, and modern thought. As a scholar, Professor Cary's specialty is the thought of Augustine, but he has also published scholarly articles on Luther, the doctrine of the Trinity, and personal knowledge. His most recent books include two on Augustine, Inner Grace and Outward Signs, both published by Oxford University Press in 2008, as well as a commentary on the book of Jonah, also in 2008, published by Brazos Press.

A special thanks goes out to our very generous Patrons: Caldazar, Seán Eckmann, Laura Daligan, Michael Leighty, Claudia, Aidan Chavasse and Santheep on patreon.com/ancientworld - thank you!

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In the episode we'll look at the arts and architecture of the 13 hundreds, and the events with the Rise of Banking Families, an economic crash, the Black Death, and the temporary move backwards with the Oligarchy of the Albizzi Family.

Overall movements are still the Rise of the Merchant Classes and Growth of Cities, and we'll see how the Albizzi Oligarchy creates the conditions for the next century with the Age of Medici and the artistic explosion of the Florentine Renaissance.

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A special thanks goes out to our very generous Patrons: Caldazar, Seán Eckmann, Laura Daligan, Michael Leighty, Claudia, Aidan Chavasse and Santheep on patreon.com/ancientworld - thank you!!

In this episode we'll look at the deeper theological themes in the Lord of the Rings, and see how they are expressed by J.R.R. Tolkien, and in Dante's Divine Comedy. We'll also see how the beauty and wisdom of deep theology can greatly enrich and embed great epic stories and poetry.

Timestamps:

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In this episode we're having our first guest here on the podcast! We're very happy to present for you Tommaso Todesca in LA, who's currently making an excellent 100 video series on the Divine Comedy on his youtube channel, and we'll discuss the role that Dante is playing in his life, and his favorite scenes and discoveries from each of the three books.

Time stamps:

Tom's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Se0davqIVb5KsQ1ruCZ_Q

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In this episode we'll look at the historical events of the 12 hundreds in Florence, with the rise of the Merhcant class, the rivalries between dynasties, and the wars between the Guelphs and Ghibellines. This is a very helpful background to understand more of how Dante's outlook on the World was shaped in the first 35 years of his life, and the conditions and tensions he was caught up in when he became a Prior of the City, in the Summer of 1300.

The Plaque for Buondelmonte on Ponte Vecchio is here:

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A special thanks goes out to our very generous Patrons: Caldazar, Seán Eckmann, Laura Daligan, Michael Leighty, Claudia, Aidan Chavasse and Santheep on https://patreon.com/ancientworld - thank you!!

In this episode we'll look at Epistle VII that Dante wrote to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII of Luxembourg, after Henry's descent into Italy in 1310. 

We'll go through the historical context of the letter, as well as Dante's life in exile after 1304, and the immediate aftermath of Henry's conquest. We'll also look at some passages in "The Paradiso" with Dante's description of becoming a "Party of One" after breaking with the White Guelphs, and how Beatrice presents Henry VII's place in the Heavens.

A great map of Europe in the time of Emperor Henry VII is here! https://ibb.co/PNHnJnb

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In this fourth and final episode about the First Letter by Dante to Cardinal Niccolò da Prato, we'll look very briefly at the events between 1302-1304 with the new Pope Benedict XI, and the Letter or Epistle I in its fullness. 

We'll also see how Dante himself describes the events of the last four episodes, in Canto 6 of the Inferno.

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In this third episode on the background for Dante's Epistle I to Cardinal Niccolò da Prato in 1304, we'll look at the events and chaos that comes when the French Prince Charles of Valois enters Florence, and until the final banishment of the Bianchi in April 1302. 

In a little over two years, the Black Guelphs and Corso Donati have then taken full control of the city, but at a very high price, and the tensions between Pope Boniface and the French King have also increased. 

Dante is now in Exile, in which he will remain for the rest of his life. 

Thanks for listening! 

In this second episode on the historical background for Dante's Epistle I to Cardinal Niccolò da Prato in 1304, we'll look at the events from Dante's summer as a Prior in June 1300, until the entering of the French Prince Charles of Valois into Florence in November, 1301.

We'll also look at the politics and strategies from Corso Donati, the head of the Neri, by going to Rome during these months, and laying plans with Pope Boniface VIII and the French King Philip the Fair.

And a big thanks to our very generous patreon-supporters who are funding this podcast! A special thanks goes to Caldazar, Seán Eckmann, Laura Daligan, Michael Leighty, Claudia, and Aidan Chavasse.

Thanks for listening!