Through the hermeneutic-symbolic study of the Dantean figures of Virgil, the witches Manto and Erichto, and the mysterious woman loved by St. Francis, we reflect on the sense of magic and thaumaturgy in the Divine Comedy, presenting a new theological interpretation of the secret doctrine of "Inferno" IX. Virgil is shown in Dante’s poem as the great Roman poet and as the magician of the Neapolitan folkloric traditions of the Middle Ages; he is celebrated but also ridiculed for his limitations. The Christian world, in fact, transcends the pagan idea of magic being Nature’s proud minister, to advance a more complex thaumaturgic concept that indicates a miraculous event belonging not only to man but to the divine that is fused into the human dimension. Along these lines, the most essential characteristics and differences of Virgil the Magician’s two infernal journeys in the Divine Comedy are analysed in detail: first, the one that is determined by the spells of Erichto, Lucan’s witch, and which is therefore the work of ancient pagan black magic; second, the one that is Christianly predisposed by angelic inspiration, that is, by Beatrice, who is the symbol of a newer “celestial magic,” which is, in turn, a special thaumaturgic power indicated by the paradisiac episode of St. Francis and his wife.
IT
Attraverso uno studio ermeneutico-simbolico delle figure dantesche di Virgilio, delle streghe Manto ed Erichto e della sposa di San Francesco si riflette sul senso del magico e del taumaturgico nella "Divina Commedia", proponendo una nuova interpretazione teologica della segreta “dottrina” a cui si allude nel canto IX infernale. Virgilio viene mostrato nel poema dantesco come il grande poeta latino e come il mago delle tradizioni folkloriche napoletane del Medioevo: così è celebrato ma anche ridicolizzato per i suoi limiti. Il mondo cristiano, infatti, trascende l’idea pagana della magia che è la signora orgogliosa della natura, per avanzare un “concetto magico” molto più vasto e complesso, evento non più soltanto dell’uomo ma del divino che è fuso e integrato nell’uomo. Su questa linea, si analizzano nei dettagli le più essenziali caratteristiche e differenze dei due viaggi infernali del mago Virgilio nella Divina Commedia: quello che è determinato dagli scongiuri di Erichto, la strega, ed è dunque opera di magia nera pagana antica, e quello che è predisposto cristianamente dall’ispiratrice angelicata, cioè da Beatrice che è simbolo della bellezza foriera di una “magia celestiale” più nuova, cioè una forma di taumaturgia indicata dalla figura paradisiaca di San Francesco e dalla sua sposa.
Although scholars have noted the presence of the myth of Romulus in the Pharsalia, it would seem that its role in Lucan’s epic is much more significant than has hitherto been thought, for — firstly — the strong association of Caesar with Romulus unveils the dark side of the ancient legend, and — secondly – it links those scenes in which Caesar plays the part of a “Neo-Romulus”. The scene in the seventh book of the poem — in which the corpses of the Pompeian soldiers killed at Pharsalus are torn to pieces by wild animals and in which vultures bespatter Caesar with the battle gore that drops from their wings — possibly alludes to the apocryphal version of the myth of Romulus — mentioned by Livy (Liv. 1, 16, 4) — according to which the founder of Rome was himself eventually torn to pieces by furious senators. It is therefore quite probable that this scene functions as an oraculum mortis foreshadowing the Ides of March, which Lucan may well have planned to include in his Pharsalia.
JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page.