Dante Book 1 Canto IV Scene 2

 

Scene 2

 

The walk was long across the listless terrain as if like a walk in the vast desert without the sun as a guide but a worn-out path. Dante saw many souls that had taken to rest or rather stop in their walk and sat by the path. They were just lazing there and without a sound or expression as to their next move.

“Yes, some just could not believe in themselves to move on and decide to stay here.” The new Virgil explained. “It's not easy to get on the path in Limbo if you are … without faith in your path. Let me recite you a poem much after my generation and long before yours.

As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air;
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherits, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind: we are such stuff
As dreams are made of, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.

William Shakespeare, from Tempest.

“That was Shakespeare's poem from the Tempest. I don’t understand the relevance here,” Dante said.

“These are the weaker of the once-living flesh. They claimed to hold their faith in themselves and it wanes by their view, they are listless here.” Aeneas told Dante. “They are the unsure souls of where they truly want to do or have no real faith.”

“You mean they were not given the choice of faith. Unbelievers?”

“No, unexposed to any will be the word. They knew no Gods but themselves, or hold no true faith in any. They think life is a reprieve to living, and once it was over, they slipped onto sleep once more maybe to awake later or never. They were in limbo then and will be here.”

“Then why they were not at the abyss before we reached the river? The ones with the Angels that held no sides in the War.” Dante questioned back.

“I don’t know but when you do have that answer, do tell me. I am as eager to know that. After all, I am like many parts alike them.”

“Were they ever redeemed? God is ever forgiving.”: Dante expressed his belief that God was kind.

“Is there God? I won’t know but I heard that some were taken up at some places but I was not here long enough. Do let me know. That is my second question.” It was then Virgil then led Dante to what appeared to be a small clump of trees. It may appear as trees with the leaves but the trees were dull as if it was man-made. It was lifeless like everything in Limbo.

“We are near my home here but we have some friends to meet here. Do join us there.” Dante was led to a gathering nearby. “Here you will find more questions. These are all …. Revelled persons when alive for their inquisitive minds. They are searching for answers and till here, they strive in it. They have their faith in what they could interpret and none of not what. Some did in their way.”

“Meet the revelled ones. Anyway, they were then, and in here, they are lost, souls.” Virgil introduced Dante to the gathered. “Gentlemen, I bring you, Dante.”

There were four seated there, dressed in the plain frock, and sandals. All of them were untidy and like Aeneas, their hair unkempt. One of the four stood up and approached Dante.

“I am most pleased to finally meet you.” Aeneas had bored me with your so-called arrival and finally, you are here.” The figure offered his right hand towards Dante. “Yαῖρε” (chaîre)” (It was the way the ancient Greeks greet the other.). Dante took hold of the hand and smiled.

“I am Homer. You may know me for I am told you are a learned person as I was told.”

Homer, presumed the author of the fabled poems Illiad and Odyssey. It was the two epics that marked his fame but little was known of him. The two poems however formed the basis of knowledge for mankind's study from then till the early age of Christianity. It was too influenced the learnings of scholars to the age of the Renaissance in Italy. The text of the poems was an ancient source for morals and at times the guidance to the perception of life.

“Meet my friends, Horace, Ovid, and Lucan.”

Quintus Horatius Flaccus or Horace as known to many, was a lyric poet, satirist under Emperor Augustus. His famous works were the Satires’ documenting Octavian’s challenges of restoring traditional morality, and other attempts on the displacement of ranks. The Satires often exalt the new man, who is the creator of his fortune and does not owe it to noble lineage. 

“I am honored.” Horace steps forth to embrace Dante. “My other counterparts and geniuses in their life too.”

“It's a kindness that the mind can go where it wishes.” Ovid or Publius Ovidius Naso wrote “The Poems of Exile: Tristia and the Black Sea Letters”. Do call me Ovid. I am ever at your service.”

“You wrote Metamorphoses or the Books of Transformation consists of fifteen books, and over two hundred and fifty so named myths chronicle the history of the world from its creation to the deification of Julius Caesar. It was to inspire the works of many others in the age.

“The works surprised even me. I once wrote “or that writing a poem you can read to no one is like dancing in the dark.” (The Poems of Exile: Tristia and the Black Sea Letters.). “Alas, I was wrong. There are many readers of my poems.” Ovid smiled. “Here is my other friend.”

“I am Lucan or rather my name is Lucian but call me Lucan.” The last of the gathered approached Dante. “I am no famed poet but more of a satirist. I tend to be witty and critique in my works.”

“I read your words. Your satire on the Gods was amusing.” Dante recalled the poet that wrote the Dialogues of the Gods. “I am Dante….”.

“A learned person, we are told with a penchant to question ancient texts and interpret their works despite the advancement in the learning given the tools then in your age, but the mind maps its understanding. Wonderful anatomy of creation, and yet we used only a nominal part of it in our journey.” It was Lucan who then smiled. “Pardon me for my rendering to your introduction but I am after all a satirist and I take every view with a ‘pinch of sale’.”

“Homer, we are far too long here and our meeting with the ones after our generations has widened our pick of words. Even here in Limbo, we are still expanding our mind.” Lucan laughed.  

“None at all. I am. I am intrigued… No, I am flattered to meet the four of you.” Dante humbled himself.

“And you wished to know why are we here?” Homer added to Dante’s words. “We are not lost. We are rather not ready yet to move on unless we learned of our true purpose inside what transpires in our soul. You, however, may go on. For the Empress, I am told. For the love as I could feel in the telling. For yourself, for I can see that you are like us, searching for the … knowledge. I had the needless war between the Gods and its worshippers.”

“Rage—Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles,
murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses,
hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls,
great fighters’ souls, but made their bodies carrion,
feasts for the dogs and birds, and the will of Zeus was moving toward its end.”

(https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/iliad/quotes/)

“I…” Dante was again lost for words.

“Don’t be, Dante. You are up against the master of words. All of us have written more words than you ever understand.” Lucan smiled.

“I do have a question for Homer.” Dante looked to Homer. “What …How do much do you know of the Underworld? You wrote on it. Or rather what inspired you? Yet you are deprived of sight, what did you see?”

“There is nothing alive more agonized than man / of all that breathe and crawl across the earth.”
― Homer, The Iliad.

“I wrote that in Iliad but did my sightless makes me any …or rather unable to write?” Homer smiled. “Not many have tried to learn of my origin, had queried my blindness. Maybe being blind, gave me an insight unseen by the others. In the journey of life, we hold onto our five senses to learn yet when we are down without any, we believed them to compensate with the others. What if there were none, does that mean we are …. dead? I explore those that were in me, living, and question death. Did it all die too?”

“Arrogance of the living to make assumptions. Well, I did not but explore my senses. There are more than five senses.” Homer smiled. “I sensed the other things that we failed to do. I sensed life in its total existence, and that includes the afterlife. I dictated Odyssey for it was a good start to knowing life. The wholesome….”

Homer laughed.

“It was truly wholesome; Zeus had his children taking sides and battling like the kids they were, or still was. The Greeks have a fascinating imagination.” Homer paused and they motioned to Lucan. “His influence had got into me.”

“Yes, the Greeks were fascinated with the creation of heroes and heroine revealed by many for ages. I took on my part of the tale to give my insight into living and after living was a part of it. If one had read it miraculously in its true words, you will learn life lessons.”

“Tell me more. I want to hear it.” Dante said.

“Not on this journey, Dante. We have a journey to take. I can’t leave you here with them. It will take an eternity to know what they have to talk about.” Virgil pulled Dante away. It was Homer who then invited Dante to the abode where the great minds lived.

“I must see them.” Dante was excited. The four poets then led Dante and Virgil on the new path.