Dante's Inferno Group

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jrbolton
jrbolton

In "Dante's Inferno", why does Virgil speak of "false and lying gods?"

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Posted by jrbolton on Saturday December 6, 2008 at 6:14 PM and tagged with dante's inferno, false and lying gods, virgil.

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  1. anzio45
    anzio45

    eNotes Editor

    I don't recall the actual reference but the gods in classical literature can often be seen as false or unreliable from the human perspective because their messages are enigmatic and misleading, sometimes little more than riddles. The important lesson appears to be that when humans ask the gods for information or guidance, they are in danger of hearing what they want to hear and acting accordingly. Virgil, as I read him, has a strong vein of pessimism in his writing and Dante's reference may be a reflection of this, a belief that the gods are of little help in human suffering and distress.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/inferno/

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    Posted by anzio45 on Monday December 8, 2008 at 3:26 AM