Citation

Lucchesi E. Italianistica 2016; 45(3): 99-106.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016)

DOI

10.19272/201601303004

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This presentation aims to prove the existence of possible echoes from Seneca in the thirteenth canto of the Inferno. In particular, we will try to illustrate how the famous canto of the suicides appears to be comparable, in some lexical and contenutistic aspects, with the Epistula i, 12 ad Lucilium. This subject recalls to us Seneca's work and, if adequally confirmed, it could be added to those already known coming from Naturales quaestiones ii, 26, 2 and from Hercules Furens, 698-700, showing 'in filigree' an imposing presence of the great suicidal philosopher in the verses dedicated to Pier delle Vigne. That hidden presence would seem to be based then on a creative rielaboration of the reference model and it would thus confirm the hyphotesis of a Dantesque knowledge of some parts of the Senecan works that are decidedly different and much more in depth with respect to the stereotyped figure that emerges from the moral portrait of Inferno iv.

Language: en