Ingerno 8: The passage Across The Styx :: Dante Divine Comedy

Ingerno 8 The passage Across The Styx In the summer of 1373 the Florentine Commune commissioned Giovanni Boccaccio to deliver a series of public lectures on Dantes Divine Comedy, and these readings and commentaries on individual cantos which were presented in the church of Santo Stefano di Badia between October 1373 and April 1374 are the first in a tradition which continues vigorously in many parts of the world in our own day.1 We do not know exactly when Boccaccio gave his lectures on the eighth canto of the Inferno, but in retrospect we whitethorn note that they fall roughly at the midpoint of his series, which was regrettably interrupted at the beginning of canto 17. Boccaccio begins his reading of Inferno 8 by remarking its unusual fount2 Dante says therefore in the first part I say, continuing. We may be somewhat perplexed by these words since everyone readily understands that the poet perforce continues the subject matter already begun and needs not note this fact and w e are even more perplexed because up to this point he has not employed this technique to continue his narrative. And, therefore, in order to dispel this state of perplexity, it must be made known that Dante had a sister, who was married to one of our spouse citizens.... True to his reputation as a master racconteur, Boccaccio tells how, after Dante had left his native city of Florence in exile, his wife, Gemma, fearful that harm would come to their property, placed definite valuable items in several strongboxes for safe keeping, and among these were copies of some of her husbands writings, including the first seven cantos of the Inferno. As Boccaccio reports, these cantos eventually came to light and were read by several people who, appreciating their excellence, recommended that they be sent to their author so that he might continue and complete this wonderful undertaking. And so, learning that Dante was then residing with Moroello Malaspina in Lunigiana, these interlopers f orwarded him the seven cantos, and, as Boccaccio tells the story, Dante, having received such(prenominal) encouragement, set himself about his task and began the eighth canto with the words Io dico seguitando... __ or, as we might say today, Well, as I was saying.... While providing an interesting though less than copesettic