Did Dante think that the characters in Virgil's and Statius's poems were real? Did he believe that the characters who changed shape, being, and even substance in Ovid's METAMORPHOSES were actual and historical?

This complicated questioning has no final answer . . . which means it can drive most of us modern, post-scientific-revolution people nuts?

But it all goes back to Dante's relationship with his own primary text, the Bible? He didn't doubt its stories. Perhaps he didn't doubt other texts as quickly as we might.

But he also didn't assign meaning quite as quickly as we do.

Let's explore some answers to this thorny question: Did Dante think Aeneas, Dido, and other classical characters were real?