Real
Utica
Utica is the place where, according to Purgatorio I 74, Cato met his death; here the body that will shine with glory on the day of the final resurrection was buried.
Description
In the first canto of the Purgatorio, verse 74 recalls that Cato in Utica met with death, leaving there the «vesta», that is, the body. The notes to the canto highlight how Dante opens to view, with this mention, the «gran giorno» of the final resurrection: the body buried at Utica will then shine with glory, in a densely synthetic contrast between the suicide's end and the eschatological promise. The same scene delineates Cato as a figure of moral austerity, the «Uticense», custodian of Purgatory, whose freedom from the tyrant is presented as a historical figure of the freedom of the spirit.
In the text
Linked verses
1 verses| Cantica | Canto | Verso | Testo | Open verse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purgatory | Canto I | 74 | in Utica la morte, ove lasciasti | Open verse |