Dante
frequently alludes to the classical antecedents of Italian society, both in Greece and Rome. The
religions of those states provide the sources of the numerous myths that he refers to or further
elaborates. In2, for example, Dantes journey through Hell is associated by Virgil with the Greek
land of the dead, Hades, through the character of Aeneas. While Aeneas was a real historical
figure, the Sibyl who guides him is a mythical creature.
In , actual Greek
and Roman poets appear and are associated with mythical figures about whom they wrote. Examples
include Electra, a daughter of Atlas, whose son Dardanus was Troys mythical founder, and
Orpheus, the mythical lyre player who was beloved of Apollo.
The trip through
Hell is made even more vivid in , when they meet Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Hades that in
this poem guards the Third Circle.
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