The Path To God Is Lined With Misquoted, Misinterpreted Texts: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, Lines 25 - 54

Statius and Virgil continue their conversation as they climb to the sixth terrace with the pilgrim Dante.

Statius explains that he discovered his error when he read two lines from Virgil's AENEID. The problem is that Statius misquotes these lines and misinterprets them, making them fit his personal situation while pushing them through Aristotle's ethics.

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we look at this wild passage that has inspired over seven hundred years of commentary. What if the way you can get saved is by misinterpreting a classical text?

Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:

[01:57] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 25 - 54. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.

[05:08] The binary relationship becomes a triangulation, thereby elevating the pilgrim Dante.

[08:30] Statius' changing status in Purgatory colors (or darkens) Aristotle's notions of accidents and substances.

[16:06] Statius seems to have read Dante's INFERNO!

[21:19] Statius misquotes and misinterprets a passage from THE AENEID, which then leads to his salvation (or at least to the recognition of his errors).

[29:16] Avarice and prodigality are apparently mostly connected to the clergy.

[30:18] The whole discussion falls back to Aristotle's ethics, (mis)interpreted for the Christian reader.

[32:58] To sum, a misquoted, misinterpreted passage from classical literature begins the journey toward redemption.

[35:46] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 25 - 54.