Heavens

Souls Encountered

Subjects, Events

Angelic Orders

Virtues

Cantos

ii-v

SECOND HEAVEN (Mercury)

The ambitious of the active life: the Emperor Justinian, Romèo.

The history of the Roman Empire; the mystery of the Redemption.

Archangels (pro- tectors of nations and bearers of tidings of great import).

Justice (in which these souls were deficient).

v-vii

THIRD HEAVEN (Venus)

The lovers: Charles Martel, Cunizza, Foulquet of Marseilles, Rahab.

The constitution of society; usurpation of rights.

Principalities (regulators of human government).

Temperance (in which these souls were deficient).

viii-ix

Ascent beyond the shadow of earth.

ix

FOURTH HEAVEN (Sun)

Theologians, Teachers, Historians, etc.: Aquinas, Albertus, Gratian, Peter Lombard, Solomon, Dionysius, Orosius, Boethius, Isidore, Bede, Richard, Sigier, Bonaventure, Agostino, Illuminato, Hugh, Petrus Comestor, Peter of Spain, Nathan, Chrysostom, Anselm, Donatus, Rabanus, Joachim.

The life of St Francis; the life of St Dominic; the wisdom of Solomon; the. glory of the resurrected body.

Powers (image of Divine Power and majesty, combaters of the powers of darkness and of disease).

Prudence

x-xiv

FIFTH HEAVEN (Mars)

The Warriors: Cacciaguida, Joshua, Judas Maccabaeus, Charlemagne, Roland, William of Orange, Renouard, Godfrey of Bouillon, Guiscard.

Early Florence; Dante's exile; his mission and work.

Virtues (image of Divine Strength and Fortitude, workers of signs, inspirers of endurance).

Fortitude

xiv-xviii

SIXTH HEAVEN (Jupiter)

The Just: David, Trojan, Hezekiah, Constantine, William II of Sicily, Rhipeus.

Divine and human justice; grace and salvation.

Dominations (image of Divine Dominion).

Justice

xxiii-xx

SEVENTH HEAVEN (Saturn)

The Contemplatives: Peter Damian, Benedict, Macarius, Romualdus.

Predestination; the ascetic life; God's coming vengeance on corrupt monasticism.

Thrones (image of Divine Steadfastness, executors of God's judgements).

Temperance

xxi-xxii

Ascent of the Celestial Ladder.

xxii

EIGHTH HEAVEN (Fixed stars)

Triumph of Christ; The Virgin Mary; St Peter; St James; St John; Adam.

Dante's examination in the three theo- logical virtues; St Peter's rebuke to the Church; Dante's temporary blindness.

Cherubim (image of Divine Wisdom).

Faith, Hope, and Charity.

xxiii-xxvii

NINTH HEAVEN (Primum Mobile)

Dante's vision of the angelic hierarchies; the Creation.

Seraphim (image of Divine Love).

xxvii-xxix

TENTH HEAVEN (Empyrean)

St Bernard; the Blessed in the Celestial Rose.

Beatrice returns to her throne in the Empyrean; Prayer of St Bernard.

xxx-xxxiii

Dante beholds God.

xxxüi

Heavens

Souls Encountered

Subjects, Events

Angelic Orders

Virtues

Cantos

Ascent from earth. The natural order of the universe.

FIRST

HEAVEN

(Moon)

The inconstant in vows:

Piccarda, the Empress

Constance.

Physical phenomena

the work of celestial

Intelligences; the

freedom of the will.

Angels (guardians of

persons and bearers

of tidings of God's

bounty).

Fortitude

(in which these souls were

deficient).

ii-v

SECOND

HEAVEN

(Mercury)

The ambitious of the active life:

the Emperor Justinian, Romèo.

The history of the Roman Empire; the mystery of the Redemption.

Archangels (protectors of nations and bearers of tidings of great import).

Justice

(in which these souls were deficient).

v-vii

THIRD

HEAVEN

(Venus)

The lovers: Charles Martel,

Cunizza, Foulquet of Marseilles,

Rahab.

The constitution of

society; usurpation

of rights.

Principalities

(regulators of

human government).

Temperance

(in which these souls were deficient).

viii-ix

Ascent beyond the

shadow of earth.

ix

FOURTH

HEAVEN

(Sun)

Theologians, Teachers, Historians,
etc.: Aquinas, Albertus, Gratian, Peter Lombard, Solomon, Dionysius, Orosius, Boethius, Isidore, Bede, Richard, Sigier, Bonaventure, Agostino, Illuminato, Hugh, Petrus Comestor, Peter of Spain, Nathan, Chrysostom, Anselm, Donatus, Rabanus, Joachim.

The life of St Francis; the life of St Dominic; the wisdom of Solomon; the. glory of the resurrected body.

Powers

(image of
Divine Power and majesty, combaters

of the powers of

darkness and of

disease).

Prudence

x-xiv

FIFTH

HEAVEN

(Mars)

The Warriors: Cacciaguida, Joshua, Judas Maccabaeus, Charlemagne, Roland, William of Orange, Renouard, Godfrey of Bouillon, Guiscard.

Early Florence;

Dante's exile; his

mission and work.

Virtues (image of

Divine Strength and

Fortitude, workers

of signs, inspirers of

endurance).

Fortitude

xiv-xviii

SIXTH

HEAVEN

(Jupiter)

The Just: David, Trojan,

Hezekiah, Constantine, William

II of Sicily, Rhipeus.

Divine and human

justice; grace and

salvation.

Dominations (image

of Divine

Dominion).

Justice

xix-xx

SEVENTH

HEAVEN

(Saturn)

The Contemplatives:

Peter Damian, Benedict,

Macarius, Romualdus.

Predestination; the

ascetic life; God's

coming vengeance

on corrupt

monasticism.

Thrones

 (image of Divine Steadfastness, executors of God's judgements).

Temperance

xxi-xxii

Ascent of the

Celestial Ladder.

xxii

EIGHTH

HEAVEN

(Fixed stars)

Triumph of Christ; The Virgin

Mary; St Peter; St James; St John; Adam.

Dante's examination in the three theological virtues; St. Peter's rebuke to the Church; Dante's temporary blindness.

Cherubim

 (image of Divine Wisdom).

Faith, Hope, and

Charity.

xxiii-xxvii

NINTH

HEAVEN

(Primum

Mobile)

Dante's vision of the

angelic hierarchies;

the Creation.

Seraphim (image of Divine Love).

xxvii-xxix

TENTH

HEAVEN

(Empyrean)

St Bernard; the Blessed in the

Celestial Rose.

Beatrice returns to her throne in the Empyrean;

 Prayer of St Bernard.

xxx-xxxiii

Dante beholds God.

xxxüi