O legado de Augusto na perspectiva de Dante Alighieri: explorando a ideia de poder imperial na Eneida de Virgílio e sua reinterpretação em sobre a monarquia e n’A Divina Comédia (Sécs. XIII-XIV)

Abstract

Dante Alighieri was a poet and politician active in Florence at the turn of the 13th to the 14th century. He lived in a context of social, political, religious, cultural, and economic transformations. Two institutions were in conflict at this time, the Papacy and the Empire, represented by factions known as the Ghibellines and the Guelphs initially, and later by the White Guelphs and the Black Guelphs. A proponent of the autonomy of both institutions, especially the Empire, Dante was exiled when the Black Guelphs (supporters of papal power) took control in Florence. From then on, he began to produce two of his most famous works: Commedia and De Monarchia. These works present a harsh critique of society and the leaders of his time, of the corruption of institutions and individuals. Using primarily Virgil's Aeneid, Dante praises the Romans, considering both the people and their leaders the most capable of dominating the world, with Augustus being the greatest example of an efficient leader. According to Dante, the Roman ruler should be adopted as a model by the leaders of his time. From this perspective, in this dissertation, we analyze Dante's reinterpretation of Virgil's discourse on the supremacy of the Roman people and their leaders, from the beginnings of Rome to the time of Augustus. We explore Dante's mentions of Augustus and his government, the past of Rome, and the Roman people, based mainly on the Aeneid. We show how Dante used the rule of Augustus as a benchmark for the characteristics of the Universal Monarch, a sovereign leader necessary to solve the problems he identified in the society of his time