Christianity and mythology in Dante's Inferno?

Question

I am in the middle of The Inferno and still cannot grasp Dante's inclusion of both mythological references and Christian ones. I believed the two to be mutually exclusive. Dante is extremely devout in his Catholic belief, yet constantly undermines its refusal to recognize other deities in these references.

So...how can the references to Greek gods and goddesses be explained? For instance, the spiteful blasphemer on the Burning Sands was apparently killed by Jove (Zeus's) lightning bolt. How is this possible? (Especially considering the fact that those ancient Greek philosophers like Virgil, Socrates, and Aristotle are forever trapped in Limbo for not worshipping God...)

I am extremely confused and hoping someone here can shed some light on the issue.

Answer 1

Suggest you pick up the New Yorker magazine of the past month or so (I know, they come out weekly... ask a reference librarian for help; that is also where they have back issues) and read all about this work. It wasn't done to simply put forward a Catholic doctrine, and the writer was far more educated than simply in Catholic doctrine, and those ancient Greek philosophers, if you have read the New Testament, are not 'forever trapped in Limbo.'

You may hate this answer, but I'm speaking truth here. Have you heard of love? Have you heard the phrase 'love covers a multitude of sins?' Have you heard 'but the greatest of these is charity?'

Suggest you give those ideas a whirl and forget denunciations of an author long gone to whatever his reward is-- and do remember that you are not the One who judges that.

Answer 2

It's been a while since I dove into this topic but isn't it the man himself who claims he was killed by Jove? Hence he does not believe in God (and his words cannot be trusted).

His reference to other deities are "second hand" so to speak - and an implication towards the sins of the souls residing in h**l. They believe in "other gods".  

Answer 3

From the way I understand it - and "The Inferno" is incredibly complex - Dante considers all mythological persons to be servants of the Christian God. Jove is not a "god," but, like the angels, a supernatural being that acts on behalf of God-with-a-capital-G.

And you have to keep in mind that Dante was a great student of the classics (meaning the literature of ancient Greek and Rome), and interested in writing as art. He was undoubtedly drawn to the narrative possibilities of including mythical characters within his great epic, in the same tradition as Homer and Virgil. The Divine Comedy is meant to entertain the intellect as much as it is to invigorate the soul.