Dante's Influence On Politics

Political influence, love it or hate it, determines the way that society functions. The morals, values, folkways, and core principles of a culture greatly effect politics, especially through media. Today we see mass media affecting politics on a grand scale, however in the middle ages and antiquity, where no televisions could be found, literature filled this political gap. In the middle ages, songs and epics brought fame and fortune to crusader heroes, but Dante’s The Divine Comedy on the other hand, was deeply critical and questioning of the power struggle between the people, the church, and the king. In the early years of the Augustan era of Rome, Augustus’s advisor Maecenas had several poets craft epics to depict Rome and Augustus in a favorable
Treachery to kin, country, guests, and benefactors; all sins that to us seem fairly normal, but to Dante, these were the true devices of evil laying waste to the city of Florence. He first stumbles upon Nimrod, the great and powerful builder of the tower of babel, “His words accuse him. He is Nimrod, through whose infamous device the world no longer speaks a common language. But let’s leave him alone and not waste breath, for he can no more understand our words than anyone can understand his language” (NAWL Canto XXXI 76-81) Nimrod was the great divider of people, as his tower, according to Christian mythos, is the reason that there is not one common language among humans. His placement this near to Satan is very indicative of the pope, as Pope Boniface’s tyranny was the reason for the civil unrest in Florence, and Dante’s subsequent ousting from his home. In a sense, Pope Boniface is also guilty of the same sin as Nimrod, treachery to people, as he divided the city of Florence, and Dante’s parallel of Nimrod is can be seen as a direct accusation of the Pope for this
Troy’s no more. Ilium, gone-our awesome Trojan glory” (NAWL Book II 407-409). The downfall of such a proud and strong people by a cunning sneak attack, only to have the survivors of the attack go on to found the greatest empire of all time, was quite the bit of pathos for Virgil. Here he gives Augustus the proud history he needs to inspire all those around him with a sense of survivor’s glory. Virgil also introduces to us the powerful and pious figure of Aeneas, the story’s hero, “So come, dear father, climb up onto my shoulders! I will carry you on my back. This labor of love will never wear me down. Whatever falls to us now, we both will share one peril, one path to safety” (NAWL Book II 880-883). Virgil shows us here how powerful Aeneas truly is, not to mention his piety, he stops fighting to save his father and carry his family and relics to safety to appease his faith. This strong figure of Aeneas would’ve easily been connected to by many a Roman commoner, and Augustus would easily be able to parallel himself with such a