Beyond the shadow of the Earth, Dante deals with positive examples of Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude. Within the Sun, which is the Earth's source of illumination, Dante meets the greatest examples of prudence: the souls of the wise, who help to illuminate the world intellectually (Canto X). Initially, a circle of twelve bright lights dance around Dante and Beatrice. These are the souls of:
Thomas Aquinas Albertus Magnus Gratian Peter Lombard King Solomon Dionysius the Areopagite, confused here with Pseudo-Dionysius Orosius Boethius Isidore of Seville Bede Richard of Saint Victor Sigier of Brabant
This list includes philosophers, theologians and a king, and has representatives from across Europe. Thomas Aquinas recounts the life of St. Francis of Assisi, and his love for "Lady Poverty" (Canto XI):
"Between Topino's stream and that which flows down from the hill the blessed Ubaldo chose, from a high peak there hangs a fertile slope;
from there Perugia feels both heat and cold at Porta Sole, while behind it sorrow Nocera and Gualdo under their hard yoke.
From this hillside, where it abates its rise, a sun was born into the world, much like this sun when it is climbing from the Ganges.
Therefore let him who names this site not say Ascesi, which would be to say too little, but Orient, if he would name it rightly."
Twelve new bright lights appear, one of which is St. Bonaventure, a Franciscan, who recounts the life of St. Dominic, founder of the order to which Aquinas belonged. The two orders were not always friendly on earth, and having members of one order praising the founder of the other shows the love present in Heaven (Canto XII).
The twenty-four bright lights revolve around Dante and Beatrice, singing of the Trinity, and Aquinas explains the surprising presence of King Solomon, who is placed here for kingly, rather than philosophical or mathematical wisdom (Cantos XIII and XIV):
"My words did not prevent your seeing clearly that it was as a king that he had asked for wisdom that would serve his royal task
and not to know the number of the angels on high or, if combined with a contingent, necesse ever can produce necesse,
or si est dare primum motum esse, or if, within a semicircle, one can draw a triangle with no right angle."
Thomas Aquinas
Albertus Magnus
Gratian
Peter Lombard
King Solomon
Dionysius the Areopagite, confused here with Pseudo-Dionysius
Orosius
Boethius
Isidore of Seville
Bede
Richard of Saint Victor
Sigier of Brabant
This list includes philosophers, theologians and a king, and has representatives from across Europe. Thomas Aquinas recounts the life of St. Francis of Assisi, and his love for "Lady Poverty" (Canto XI):
"Between Topino's stream and that which flows
down from the hill the blessed Ubaldo chose,
from a high peak there hangs a fertile slope;
from there Perugia feels both heat and cold
at Porta Sole, while behind it sorrow
Nocera and Gualdo under their hard yoke.
From this hillside, where it abates its rise,
a sun was born into the world, much like
this sun when it is climbing from the Ganges.
Therefore let him who names this site not say
Ascesi, which would be to say too little,
but Orient, if he would name it rightly."
Twelve new bright lights appear, one of which is St. Bonaventure, a Franciscan, who recounts the life of St. Dominic, founder of the order to which Aquinas belonged. The two orders were not always friendly on earth, and having members of one order praising the founder of the other shows the love present in Heaven (Canto XII).
The twenty-four bright lights revolve around Dante and Beatrice, singing of the Trinity, and Aquinas explains the surprising presence of King Solomon, who is placed here for kingly, rather than philosophical or mathematical wisdom (Cantos XIII and XIV):
"My words did not prevent your seeing clearly
that it was as a king that he had asked
for wisdom that would serve his royal task
and not to know the number of the angels
on high or, if combined with a contingent,
necesse ever can produce necesse,
or si est dare primum motum esse,
or if, within a semicircle, one
can draw a triangle with no right angle."