Why Did Dante Choose Virgil?
There are lots of influential classical poets - why Virgil?  Also, why not Aristotle, as he also had a huge impact on Dante's thinking, especially about metaphysics, astronomy, etc.  This section seeks to answer these questions.
 
Link to Homer
This motivation is probably the most greedy, by choosing Virgil to be his guide in the Divine Comedy, Dante can align himelf to Homer.  Elsewhere in this site is an explanation of how Homer relates to Virgil, but it is also worthwhile to note it here.  No other poet had so closely aligned themself with, or attempted to measure up to Homer in the way Virgil did.  In choosing Virgil, Dante upped his own ante by setting his own literary leap as high as Virgil's was to Homer, and he also allowed himself to be connected to the great Homer himself through a degree of separation.
Statue of Homer

Similar Attitudes in Writing
Also, Dante and Virgil have similar attitudes and abilities in writing.  While the comparison might be a bit unfair - Dante reveals himself to us directly in the Divine Comedy, whereas Virgil's own point of view is quite indirect and subtle in the Aeneid, what they do give us shows a number of similarities.  They were both educated men, experienced and versatile in many different media and genres, and these traits showed in their writing.  Both tackle very difficult subjects:  Virgil throws himself headlong in the prehistory of Rome, and Dante describes an ascent into heaven - both impressive feats of storytelling.  Also, they both are capable of showing a range of emotions, pace, tones, and moods.  Think of the dramatic changes in atmosphere betwee Purgatory ad the depths of Inferno, or the contrast in the emotion of Books 3 and 4 of the Aeneid. 

What About Aristotle?
It might have seemed logical to choose Aristotle over Virgil, since he seemed to have a big impact on Dante's percepetion of the world - in physics, biology, metaphysics, free will, and other areas.  After all, Virgil reminds Dante not to forget what his "teacher taught him" several times.  But Dante in Inferno VI 131 calls Aristotle a "master of those who know," a phrase which suggests limitation.  Dante here implies that Aristotle is not his ideal role model.  Virgil, instead, represents his ideal - a philosopher (one who "knows") as well as a scientist, something of a religious figure, and a brilliant artist - all combined into one.  Because Dante thinks Virgil is a more complete model, he chooses him to be the guide in the Divine Comedy.
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last updated 12/15/00