Canto 6

After Constantine turned the Eagle counter to the course of the heavens which it had followed behind the ancient who took to wife Lavinia,⁷⁶ a hundred and a hundred years and more⁷⁷ the bird of God held itself on the verge of Europe, near to the Mountains⁷⁸ from which it first came forth, and there governed the world beneath the shadow of the sacred wings, from hand to hand, and thus changing, unto mine own arrived. Caesar I was,⁷⁹ and am Justinian, who, through will of the primal Love which I feel, drew out from among the laws what was superfluous and vain.⁸⁰ And before I was intent on this work, I believed one nature to be in Christ, not more,⁸¹ and with such faith was content. But the blessed Agapetus, who was the supreme pastor, directed me to the pure faith with his words. I believed him; and that which was in his faith I now see clearly, even as thou seest every contradiction to be both false and true.⁸² Soon as with the Church I moved my feet, it pleased God, through grace, to inspire me with the high labor, and I gave myself wholly to it. And I entrusted my armies to my Belisarius, to whom the right hand of Heaven was so joined that it was a sign that I should take repose.

After Constantine turned the Eagle against the course of the heavens, it had followed that course behind the ancient man who married Lavinia.⁷⁶ For more than two hundred years,⁷⁷ the bird of God remained at the edge of Europe, near the Mountains⁷⁸ from which it first came. There, beneath the shadow of its sacred wings, it governed the world. It passed from hand to hand, until at last it came into mine. I was Caesar,⁷⁹ and I am Justinian. Through the will of the primal Love that I feel, I removed what was unnecessary and useless from the laws.⁸⁰ Before I devoted myself to this work, I believed that Christ had only one nature,⁸¹ and I was content with that belief. But the blessed Agapetus, who was the supreme pastor, guided me to the true faith with his words. I believed him. Now I see clearly what he believed, just as you see that every contradiction is both false and true.⁸² As soon as I began to follow the Church, God in his grace chose to inspire me to undertake the great work. I gave myself wholly to it. I entrusted my armies to my Belisarius. Heaven’s right hand was so closely joined to him that it was a sign I should rest.

“Now here to the first question my answer comes to the stop; but its nature constrains me to add a sequel to it, in order that thou mayst see with how much reason⁸³ move against the ensign sacrosanct, both he who appropriates it to himself,⁸⁴ and he who opposes himself to it.⁸⁵ See how great virtue has made it worthy of reverence,” and he began from the hour when Pallas⁸⁶ died to give it a kingdom. “Thou knowest it made in Alba its abode for three hundred years and move, till at the end the three fought with the three⁸⁷ for its sake still. And thou knowest what it did, from the wrong of the Sabine women clown to the sorrow of Lucretia, in seven kings, conquering the neighboring peoples round about. Thou knowest what it did when borne by the illustrious Romans against Brennus, against Pyrrhus, and against the other chiefs and allies; whereby Torquatus, and Quinctius who was named from his neglected locks, the Decii and the Fabii acquired the fame which willingly I embalm. It struck to earth the pride of the Arabs, who, following Hannibal, passed the Alpine rocks from which thou, Po, glidest. Beneath it, in their youth, Scipio and Pompey triumphed, and to that hill beneath which thou wast born, it seemed bitter.⁸⁸ Then, near the time when all Heaven willed to bring the world to its own serene mood, Caesar by the will of Rome took it: and what it did from the Var even to the Rhine, the Isere beheld, and the Saone, and the Seine beheld, and every valley whence the Rhone is filled. What afterward it did when it came forth from Ravenna, and leaped the Rubicon, was of such flight that neither tongue nor pen could follow it. Toward Spain it wheeled its troop; then toward Dyrrachium, and smote Pharsalia so that to the warm Nile the pain was felt. It saw again Antandros and Simois, whence it set forth, and there where Hector lies; and ill for Ptolemy then it shook itself. Thence it swooped flashing down on Juba; then wheeled again unto your west, where it heard the Pompeian trumpet. Of what it did with the next standard-bearer,⁸⁹ Bruttis and Cassius are barking in Hell; and it made Modena and Perugia woful. Still does the sad Cleopatra weep therefor, who, fleeing before it, took from the asp sudden and black death. With him it ran far as the Red Sea shore; with him it set the world in peace so great that on Janus his temple was locked up. But what the ensign which makes me speak had done before, and after was to do, through the mortal realm that is subject to it, becomes in appearance little and obscure, if in the hand of the third Caesar⁹⁰ it be looked at with clear eye, and with pure affection. For the living Justice which inspires me granted to it, in the hand of him of whom I speak, the glory of doing vengeance for Its own ire⁹¹—now marvel here at that which I unfold to thee,—then with Titus it ran to do vengeance for the avenging of the ancient sin.⁹² And when the Lombard tooth bit the Holy Church, under its wings Charlemagne, conquering, succored her.

“Now my answer to the first question ends. But the question itself requires me to add more. You must see how much reason⁸³ each side has for acting against the sacred standard. One side claims it for itself,⁸⁴ and the other opposes it.⁸⁵ See how much valor has made the standard worthy of reverence.” He began with the time when Pallas⁸⁶ died to give it a kingdom. “You know that it made its home in Alba for more than three hundred years. At the end of that time, the three fought the three⁸⁷ for its sake. You know what it did under seven kings, from the violation of the Sabine women to Lucretia’s sorrow. It conquered the neighboring peoples all around. You know what it did when the illustrious Romans carried it against Brennus, Pyrrhus, and the other leaders and allies. Through it, Torquatus and Quinctius, named for his neglected hair, won their fame. So did the Decii and the Fabii. I gladly preserve their fame. “It struck down the pride of the Arabs who followed Hannibal across the Alpine rocks from which you, Po, flow. Beneath it, Scipio and Pompey triumphed in their youth. It brought bitterness to the hill beneath which you were born.⁸⁸ “Then, near the time when all Heaven willed to bring the world into its own serene mood, Caesar took the standard by Rome’s will. The Isere, the Saone, and the Seine saw what it did from the Var to the Rhine. So did every valley that feeds the Rhone. Afterward it came out of Ravenna and leaped across the Rubicon. Its flight was so swift that neither speech nor writing could follow it. It turned its troops toward Spain, then toward Dyrrachium. It struck Pharsalia so hard that the pain was felt as far as the warm Nile. It saw again Antandros and Simois, from which it had set out, and the place where Hector lies. There it shook itself, to Ptolemy’s sorrow. From there it swooped down, flashing, on Juba. Then it turned again toward your west, where it heard the Pompeian trumpet. “Bruttis and Cassius are barking in Hell because of what it did with the next standard-bearer.⁸⁹ It brought sorrow to Modena and Perugia. Cleopatra still weeps because of it. Fleeing before it, she took sudden, dark death from the asp. With that standard-bearer, it traveled as far as the Red Sea shore. With him, it brought such peace to the world that Janus’s temple was locked. “But the standard I speak of had done much before, and would do much afterward, throughout the mortal realm subject to it. All that seems small and dim beside what it did in the hand of the third Caesar,⁹⁰ if one looks with clear eyes and pure affection. For the living Justice that inspires me granted the standard a glory in his hand. It was the glory of taking vengeance for Justice’s own anger.⁹¹ Now marvel at what I reveal to you. Then, with Titus, it took vengeance for the avenging of the ancient sin.⁹² And when the Lombard tooth bit the Holy Church, Charlemagne conquered beneath the standard’s wings and came to her aid.

“Now canst thou judge of such as those whom I accused above, and of their crimes, which are the cause of all your ills. To the public ensign one opposes the yellow lilies,⁹³ and the other appropriates it to a party, so that it is hard to see which is most at fault. Let the Ghibellines practice, let them practice their art under another ensign, for he ever follows it ill who parts justice and it. And let not this new Charles⁹⁴ strike it down with his Guelphs, but let him fear its talons, which from a loftier lion have stripped the fell. Often ere now the sons have wept for the sin of the father; and let him not believe that for his lilies Goa win change His arms.

“Now you can judge those I accused earlier and the crimes that cause all your suffering. One side opposes the public banner with the yellow lilies,⁹³ while the other claims the banner for its own party. It is hard to see which side is more at fault. Let the Ghibellines practice their art under another banner. Anyone who separates justice from the banner always follows it badly. And let this new Charles⁹⁴ not attack the banner with his Guelphs. Instead, let him fear its talons, which have stripped the skin from a greater lion. Often before, sons have wept for their fathers’ sins. And let him not believe that God will change his arms for the sake of Charles’s lilies.”

“This little star is furnished with good spirits who have been active in order that honor and fame may follow them. And when the desires thus straying mount here, it must needs be that the rays of the true love mount upward less living.⁹⁵ But in the commeasuring of our wages with our desert is part of our joy, because we see them neither less nor greater. Hereby the living Justice so sweetens the affection in us, that it can never be bent aside to any wrong. Diverse voices make sweet notes; thus in our life diverse benches⁹⁶ render sweet harmony among these wheels.

“This little star is home to good spirits who acted so that honor and fame would follow them. When desires stray in this way, the rays of true love rise upward less brightly.⁹⁵ But part of our joy is seeing that our rewards match what we deserve, neither less nor more. Living Justice fills us with such sweetness that our love can never be turned toward any wrong. Different voices make sweet music. So, in our life among these heavenly spheres, different ranks⁹⁶ create a sweet harmony.

“And within the present pearl shines the light of Romeo, whose great and beautiful work was ill rewarded. But the Provencals who wrought against him are not smiling; and forsooth he goes an ill road who makes harm for himself of another's good deed.⁹⁷ Four daughters, and each a queen, had Raymond Berenger, and Romeo, a humble person and a pilgrim, did this⁹⁸ for him. And then crooked words moved him to demand a reckoning of this just man, who rendered to him seven and five for ten. Then he departed, poor and old, and if the world but knew the heart he had, while begging his livelihood bit by bit, much as it lauds him it would laud him more.”

“Within this pearl shines the light of Romeo, whose great and beautiful work was poorly rewarded. But the Provencals who worked against him are not smiling. And indeed, a person follows a bad path when he harms himself because of another’s good deed.⁹⁷ Raymond Berenger had four daughters, and each became a queen. Romeo, a humble man and a pilgrim, brought this about⁹⁸ for him. Then deceitful words led Raymond to demand an accounting from this honest man. Romeo had returned twelve for every ten. Then Romeo left, poor and old. And if the world knew the courage he showed while begging for his living bit by bit, it would praise him even more than it does.”