Mythological
Helice
Figure from Greek mythology, recalled by Dante as a nymph beloved by Jupiter and transformed into the constellation of the Great Bear; Diana banished her from her retinue.
Profile
Helice is a mythological figure mentioned by Dante in two places in the poem. In Purgatorio XXV, v. 131, she is recalled among the figures that Diana kept near her and then drove away: «si tenne Diana, ed Elice caccionne». In Paradiso XXXI, v. 32, her astronomical image returns in the celestial sign that daily rises and sets, as if to indicate the motion of the Empyrean: «che ciascun giorno d'Elice si cuopra». Dante therefore evokes her both as a nymph banished from the retinue of Diana and as a constellation, linking the memory of her to astronomical and theological contexts without further biographical details that can be inferred from the verses provided.
In the text
Linked verses
2 verses| Cantica | Canto | Verso | Testo | Open verse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purgatory | Canto XXV | 131 | si tenne Diana, ed Elice caccionne | Open verse |
| Paradise | Canto XXXI | 32 | che ciascun giorno d’Elice si cuopra, | Open verse |