Scipio

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In the Paradiso, Scipio is mentioned by Justinian as he enumerates the great figures of Roman history whom divine Providence placed beside the imperial eagle. The name appears in the Heaven of Mercury, alongside that of Pompey, in a list that associates the victories of ancient Rome with the mission of the Empire. Later, in the Apocalypse of the Paradiso, it is the apostle Peter who recalls the figure of Scipio as an example of God's providential intervention in defense of Rome against Hannibal, showing how the same high providence that sent the African commander can now come to the aid of the Church. The sources do not specify which of the two Scipios (the elder Africanus or Aemilianus) is intended here, nor do they assign Scipio a precise role in the scene beyond the mere nominal citation.