Elektra

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Dante places Electra among the great spirits of the first circle, Limbo, where the heroes of the active life and the great figures of the contemplative life reside. In the passage the poet explicitly cites her with the form «Eletra», accompanied by «molti compagni» (many companions). The critical note on the verse clarifies that the list of characters mentioned in this place follows the structure of the catalogue of the Virgilian Elysian fields in the Aeneid (VI 756-892), distinguishing two groups: the heroes of the history of Rome — which also includes that of Troy — and the philosophers and poets gathered around Aristotle, symbol of human wisdom. Both groups represent the moral and intellectual virtues attainable through the strength of man alone, encompassed in the concept of magnanimity, which nonetheless is not sufficient to lead one to God.