Paradiso, Canto 18

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Summary

Dante, pondering the prophecy of Cacciaguida, is roused by the consoling words and beauty of Beatrice, who bids him turn his gaze once more upon the warrior-saints. Having called on eight of these to display their radiance before Dante, Cacciaguida moves among the lights and mingles his voice with their song. Ascending with Beatrice to the heaven of Jupiter, Dante beholds the spirits of the Just who form themselves into letters which spell out the words “Diligite iustitiam qui iudicatis terram”. The spirits then transform the final letter into the symbol of justice, the Imperial Eagle.

The Prepatory Lecture

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Questions for Reflection

• How does Dante understand Beatrice’s eyes in relation to the beauty of paradise (18.13-21)? Why does Beatrice insist that Dante witness Paradise outside of her eyes?
• How can someone tell that they are growing in virtue (58-60)?
• How do the souls at Jupiter arrange themselves (18.88-99)? What virtue is represented in this heaven? Why does Dante depict this virtue with an eagle (18.106ff)?
• LOVE JUSTICE YOU WHO GOVERN THE EARTH (18.91-93). Why do you think that the love of justice is so important for proper governing?
• What does Dante mean when he says “Now wars are fought withholding here and there the bread our loving Father keeps from none” (18.128-129)? How might this be related to justice?

Paradiso, Canto 18 © Jan Hearn

The Images

The Heaven of Jupiter: In the story, Jupiter is the sixth of the seven planets visited by Dante in his ascent to the Empyrean, or abode of God. In the allegory, the temperate, pure white planet is the symbol of public justice in peace, the cause, ultimately, for which the warrior-saints have striven and died in battle. As he passes from the ruddy glow of Mars to the silvery serenity of Jupiter, Dante becomes aware of the increased beauty of the eyes of Beatrice: the concept of justice and world peace is loftier even than victory over the Infidel and the establishment of God’s word by the sword.

Diligite iustitiam qui indicatis terram: In the story, Dante sees the souls in Jupiter spell out in a pattern of lights the letters of this text from the Book of Wisdom, “Love justice, ye that judge the earth.” Since this work was attributed to Solomon, his kingly wisdom is here linked with perfect justice. In the allegory, this gradual forming of the message and Dante’s apprehension of it, letter by letter, signify the approach of mankind, by trial and error, to the establishment of justice in the world. As the series of letters becomes intelligible only when it has all been spelled out, so the sequence of world events forms a pattern which will be comprehensible only when it is complete. In the meantime, all endeavour to establish just government on earth is a step towards the realization of God’s plan for mankind.

The final letter M: In the story, the sentence patterned by the lights ends with the word “terram”, “the earth”. The final letter M, while conveying the natural suggestion of the cipher 1,000, together with all the associative ideas of a millenium, here specifically symbolizes Monarchy, that is, world government, or the concept of all peoples united under a universal ruler.

The Eagle: In the story, the final letter M is transformed gradually into the shape of an eagle. This beautiful and impressive image signifies the ancient supremacy of Rome, ordained by God for the peace and unity of the world. That the Roman emblem should emerge from the meaning spelled out by the souls of the Just is an indication of Dante’s own gradual comprehension of the meaning of history and the divine pattern of justice. In the systems of law of the Italian commonwealths, Dante recognized the Roman principles. It is the enforcing of these which he has in mind when he speaks and dreams of a universal authority guarding all men’s peace and freedom.

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