Dante's inferno question

I just finished reading the book , and there is one thing I never understood.

In the Cocytus when examining Satan as he is trapped in the ice Virgil explains to Dante about the 3 heads and how hes chewing on eternal sinners , anyway I understand why Judas *the disciple who betrayed Jesus* is there , but why are Cassius and Brutus *the two who plotted ot kill Ceasar* there , I didn't find any explanation in the book either....

Yeah I always thought about that.
Judas is ok but those two really doesn't fit.
Mean ok, Brutus is fair but why Cassius of all people ??
Surely there must be another traitor more worthy then Cassius ??

Originally Posted by TB666

Yeah I always thought about that.
Judas is ok but those two really doesn't fit.
Mean ok, Brutus is fair but why Cassius of all people ??
Surely there must be another traitor more worthy then Cassius ??

I think Brutus and Cassius were taken as a personification of all traitors as they were so fameous. Italy at the time of Dante suffered much from people who being in power in one city betrayed it for the benefits of who promised them more from another city/county. Feudal disorders. Even the Papal state,the father of all, fought to subdue Florence and Genoa which they succeedded but the people were much disappointed from the turmoil. Especially for the elite it was quite disappointing to loose everything you had and to flee abroad after the other party got the power. It's a phenomenon typical for pre-renaissance Italy and can't be met in other european countries so much.
This explains also the pope who was put in hell for quitting his office and having done nothing more bad. Italy was torn in civil wars whcih were even more freightening at the fear of a muslim naval debarkment. The elite was more affected than the common people and the existance of parties at that time meant ostrakism for the loosing side.

^ thats a good point Dracula , but I just would have thought Dante would have picked 2 different tratiors.

Originally Posted by Axeman

^ thats a good point Dracula , but I just would have thought Dante would have picked 2 different tratiors.

Did I mention he was a monarchist ? You better propogate the monarchist cause with the most famous ones.

hmmm, i really have no real idea, but im gonna toss out conjecture anyway, cuz this is the internet.

classical resurgance in rennaissance italy. Two nobodies killing a great man.

or maybe the feudal mind? Everybody had a better, and those two killed theirs. DId Dante perhaps have a patron he wanted to suck up to by saying that the worst crime possible could be going against your better?

thinking out loud.
on paper
quietly.

30 pieces of silver was actually a small fortune in roman money