Dr. Jonathan Juilfs

Choose you this day whom you will serve, that everything is dependent upon where your allegiance lies.

So, Cacioguita goes about outlining, in very long form, kind of the early days of Florence, and eventually tells the story of when he was born and baptized and given the name of Cacioguita.

All of this, I think, sets in place then.

Dante Poet is making us the claim that he comes from a distinguished line.

They don't have to be wealthy today, but he comes from a distinguished line.

That would be relevant to a crusader great-grandfather, kind of a great-great-grandfather.

And it puts into kind of play this idea, I come of noble stock, but is that enough?

Is that enough?

And so what he ultimately comes to, and this is why Caccia Guida is still probably one of the most famous parts of Paradiso.

Dante Pilgrim asks him, what is my destiny?

Virgil has already given some hint that something really terrible is going to happen to me.

What is that?

And Caccia Guida lays it out in no uncertain terms.

You'll find this in Canto 17.

and you'll find this beginning at lines 46 and following, says, as Hippolytus left Athens because of his pitiless, treacherous stepmother, so must you leave Florence.

This is willed, this is already sought, and soon will be done by him who plans it where Christ is sold all day long.

The cry of blame will follow the party harmed, as usual, but the vengeance will testify to the truth that will dispense it.

And then this, to me, is one of the most powerful tercets in the whole of the company.

He says, you will leave behind everything beloved most dearly.

And this is the era that the bow of exile first lets fly.