Paradiso
Canto VI
Justinian tells Dante who he is, and what he had done as a Law-giver. He then speaks of the achievements of Rome, symbolised by the Roman Eagle; and recounts her history, from the westward journey of the Trojans and their settlement in Italy to the time of the earlier Caesars, and the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus. This last is conceived of as punishment of the Jews for having put Christ to death; but the crucifixion was itself the punishment of mankind, in Christ's person, for “the ancient sin” of Adam and was inflicted by Pilate as representative of the Roman Empire, regarded by Dante as a divine institution. Justinian recounts this history in order to denounce the factions of Dante’s day who would break up the unity of the Empire; the Guelfs, under their leader “the new Charles” (Charles II of Apulia) who would replace the “world’s great ensign,” the Eagle, by the lilies of France; and the Ghibellines, who want to appropriate it for their party. Justinian then explains that the spirits who are assigned to “this little planet,” Mercury, are there because they were ambitious of fame and honour and not only aiming at the glory of God; hence placed in a lower sphere. He concludes with the story of Romeo, minister of Raymond Berenger of Provence, whose four daughters were, through his efforts, married to four kings; but being falsely accused, he was driven into exile. The last lines perhaps allude obliquely to Dante’s own exile.
WHEN Constantine had turned the Eagle’s head[i]1-3. The Roman Eagle, having followed Aeneas from Troy to Italy, was carried by Constantine from Rome to Byzantium.
Against heaven’s course which it of old pursued
With him who took Lavinia to his bed,
Twice a hundred years and longer posted stood
The bird of God at Europe’s last confine,
Neighbouring the mountains whence it first issued,
And under shadow of the wings divine
Kept there from hand to hand continued reign,
Till by succession’s change it came to mine.
Caesar I was, and am Justinian, [10][ii]10. “Justinian”: Emperor of the East in the sixth century under whose direction was achieved a great compilation of Roman law.
Who by the will of Primal Love possessed
Pruned from the laws the unneeded and the vain.
And, ere my mind was to the task addressed,
One nature only in Christ did I suppose,
Not more, and in such doctrine acquiesced.
But blessed Agapetus, he who was
Chief Pastor then, by his discourses drew[iii]17-18. “Chief Pastor”: Pope. “The pure faith”: the dual nature of Christ.
My mind, and taught me the pure faith to espouse.
Him I believed; and what by faith he knew
Is clear to me, as clear ’tis to your wit [20]
That contradictories are, one false, one true.
So soon as with the Church I moved my feet,
It pleased God of his grace to inspire me for
The high task, and I gave me whole to it.
Arms to my Belisarius I made o’er,[iv]25. “Belisarius”: Justinian’s great general.
Who in Heaven’s right hand such auxiliar had,
It was a sign I should not use them more.
To thy first question now is the answer made,
And here it stops; but that which from it flows
Constrains me something furthermore to add, [30]
That thou may’st see with how much reason goes
Against the ever-sacred standard he[v]32. “The ever-sacred standard”: the Imperial Eagle.
Who claims it his, or he whose schemes oppose.
See what great virtue hath won it fealty
Of reverence, beginning from the day
When Pallas died to give it sovereignty.[vi]36. To avenge the death of his friend Pallas, Aeneas slew Turnus and gained possession of Latium.
Thou knowest how in Alba it kept sway
Three hundred years and more, until was fought
Between the three and three the final fray.[vii]39. “Between the three and three. . .”: the three Curiatii, who fought for Alba Longa against the three Horatii, the champions of Rome.
Thou know’st what from the Sabine rape it wrought [40]
Through seven reigns, down to Lucretia’s woe,
Conquering the neighbour peoples round about;
And what, borne by Rome’s champions, it could do
Against Brennus and against Pyrrhus,[viii]44. “Brennus”: leader of the Gauls. “Pyrrhus”: king of Epirus.
And the other princes, its confederate foe,
When, sur-named from his rough curls, Quinctius,[ix]46. “Quinctius” was called Cincinnatus from his unkempt shock of hair.
Torquatus, Decii and Fabii, vied
In fame that I embalm most gladly thus.
It smote to earth next the Arabians’ pride,[x]49. “The Arabians”: the Carthaginians.
Who followed Hannibal across the torn [50]
Rocks of the Alps, wherefrom thou, Po, dost glide.
Youthful in triumph under it were borne
Scipio and Pompey; and bitter doom it meant
To that hill, underneath which thou wast born.[xi]54 “To that hill”: Fiesole.
Then near the time when all heaven was intent
That in its own peace earth should also share,
Caesar seized hold of it by Rome’s consent:
And what it did from Var to Rhine, Isère
Knows well the memory of, and Saône, and Seine,
And every valley feeding Rhône from far. [60]
What it did after it left Ravenna, when
It leapt the Rubicon, was flight so fast
That neither tongue could follow it, nor pen.
Toward Spain it swung the files of war, and passed
Next toward Durazzo, and Pharsalia struck,
So that hot Nile felt it, and was aghast.[xii]66. Caesar's victory at Pharsalia was felt in Egypt, where Pompey was murdered.
Antandros, Simois, which it first forsook,
It saw again, where Hector’s ashes lie;[xiii]68. “It [the Eagle] saw again”: when Caesar was pursuing Pompey, he stopped to visit the Troad.
Then, woe to Ptolemy! its plumes it shook,
On Juba pounced, like flame out of the sky, [70][xiv]70. “Juba”: king of the Numidians.
Then toward your West wheeled and went storming on
Where sounded the Pompeian trumpet’s cry.
For what, with its next bearer, it had done,[xv]73. The “next bearer” of the Eagle was Augustus.
Brutus and Cassius howl in hell beneath:
Modena and Perugia it made groan.
Cleopatra for that cause still anguisheth,
Who, lost in fear of what she fled before,
Took from the aspic sudden and black death.
With him it sped on to the Red Sea shore,
With him stablisht the world in peace so great [80]
That his own temple on Janus closed the door.[xvi]81. The temple of Janus was closed only in time of peace.
But what the Eagle, whose prowess I relate,
Had done before, and what it yet should do
Through all the mortal realm of its estate,
Seems small and dim, if with profounder view
In the third Caesar’s hand ’tis looked upon[xvii]86. “The third Caesar”: Tiberius, under whom Christ was crucified
With undisturbed eye and intention true:
For Justice, whose live breath on me has blown,
Vouchsafed it, in the hand of him I mean,
The glory of vengeance, God’s wrath to atone. [90]
What I repeat here may thy wonder win:
Thereafter under Titus it made speed
To avenge the vengeance on the ancient sin:
And when the biting Lombard fangs made bleed[xviii]94. Charlemagne came to the aid of the Church against the Longobards.
The Holy Church, under its wings in haste
Came Charlemagne victorious to her need.
Those, then, whom I arraigned erewhile, thou may’st
Judge now, and their delinquencies assay,
Which are the cause of all the ills ye taste.
Against the world’s great ensign these array [100]
The yellow lilies; those to a faction’s force
Annex it; which is worse, were hard to say.
Under another standard plot your course,
Ghibellines! for he follows this one ill
Who between it and justice makes divorce.
And let not this new Charles set out to quell[xix]106. “This new Charles”: see the Argument.
The Eagle with his Guelfs, but those claws dread
That from a lordlier lion stript the fell.
Ofttimes ere now have sons inherited
Woe from their fathers’ fault; nor let him dream [110]
God will his own arms for those lilies shed.
This little planet has for diadem[xx]112. “This little planet”: Mercury.
Good spirits who were active, to the end
That fame and honour should accrue to them.
When the desires, on these things nourished, bend
Aside so, needs must that the rays that soar
From the true love less ardently ascend.
But the commeasuring of our wages’ score
With our desert doth to our bliss belong,
Because we see them neither less nor more, [120]
Whereby the living justice is so strong
To sweeten our affection’s pure intent
That it may not be warped to any wrong.
Divers voices on earth are sweetly blent;
So in our life the divers seats accord
To make among these wheels one sweet concent.
Within the pearl that thou art turned toward
Shineth the shining light of Romeo, whose[xxi]128. “Romeo” of Villeneuve: see the Argument.
So goodly achievement had such ill reward:
But the Provençals, his malicious foes, [130]
Have not the laugh: and ill indeed they fare
Who make of others’ good deeds their own loss.
Four daughters had Count Raymond Berenger,
All queens; this Romeo won for him, a man
Humble of station and a pilgrim there.
By crooked words was he persuaded then
To call to account this good servant and just
Who paid him five and seven for every ten.
Old and poor, thence, an outcast, was he thrust;
And if the world knew what a heart he bore [140]
Within him, begging life from crust to crust,
Much as it praises, it would praise him more.”