ser Martino

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Ser Martino is mentioned by Dante in Canto XIII of Paradiso, at verse 139, within a warning passage in which the poet cautions men against judging lightly the salvation of others, a matter that pertains to God alone. The name is paired with that of «donna Berta» and, according to the notes to the canto, the two names stand in old usage for «two persons whatsoever», as one would say today Tom, Dick, and Harry, recalling the usage present in the Convivio. In this context the two names are used disparagingly to indicate the smallness of man before God. The expression «Non creda donna Berta e ser Martino» is connected to the theme of discernment in judging, which characterizes the moral sequence of the canto. The Berta-Martino pair will return in the Commedia, in a different play on typical Florentine names.