ON PREVIOUS DAYS:
- YESTERDAY:
Chuck Berry v the IRS - DAY BEFORE:
Benjamin Franklin's Kite đŞâĄ - DAY BEFORE THAT:
Who You Gonna Call? - DAY BEFORE BEFORE THAT:
Crazy Frog v Coldplay
ON THIS DAY
Dante Gets Political
Future poetic powerhouse Dante Alighieri was enshrined as one of Florenceâs six priors on 15th June, 1300: a top political gig in the cityâs complex guild-based government.
But his beloved hometown was a powder keg, split between rival factions: the Guelphs and the Ghibellines; and the Guelphs themselves were split into âwhiteâ and âblackâ camps. Dante, a White Guelph, soon found himself deep in the messy middle of this feud, helping to exile leaders from both factions after street fights broke out. He was then tried in absentia, on trumped-up charges, and sentenced to death by fire – beginning a long road of exile.
In this episode, Arion, Olly and Rebecca consider how Dante turned his rage and wisdom into one of the greatest literary works of all time, The Divine Comedy; explain what a poet was doing in the Physicians Guild in the first place; and reveal how it wasnât until 700+ years later that Florence officially pardoned himâŚ
Further Reading:
⢠âDante Alighieri: his Life, The Divine Comedy & Other Booksâ:
⢠âReturn of Dante: the Guelphs and the Ghibellinesâ (The Independent, 2008): https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/return-of-dante-the-guelphs-and-the-ghibellines-850012.html
⢠âWhy should you read Danteâs âDivine Comedyâ? – Sheila Marie Orfanoâ (Ted-Ed, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbCEWSip9pQ
ON THIS DAY
Dante Gets Political
Future poetic powerhouse Dante Alighieri was enshrined as one of Florenceâs six priors on 15th June, 1300: a top political gig in the cityâs complex guild-based government.
But his beloved hometown was a powder keg, split between rival factions: the Guelphs and the Ghibellines; and the Guelphs themselves were split into âwhiteâ and âblackâ camps. Dante, a White Guelph, soon found himself deep in the messy middle of this feud, helping to exile leaders from both factions after street fights broke out. He was then tried in absentia, on trumped-up charges, and sentenced to death by fire – beginning a long road of exile.
In this episode, Arion, Olly and Rebecca consider how Dante turned his rage and wisdom into one of the greatest literary works of all time, The Divine Comedy; explain what a poet was doing in the Physicians Guild in the first place; and reveal how it wasnât until 700+ years later that Florence officially pardoned himâŚ
Further Reading:
⢠âDante Alighieri: his Life, The Divine Comedy & Other Booksâ:
⢠âReturn of Dante: the Guelphs and the Ghibellinesâ (The Independent, 2008): https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/return-of-dante-the-guelphs-and-the-ghibellines-850012.html
⢠âWhy should you read Danteâs âDivine Comedyâ? – Sheila Marie Orfanoâ (Ted-Ed, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbCEWSip9pQ
ON PREVIOUS DAYS:
- YESTERDAY:
Chuck Berry v the IRS - DAY BEFORE:
Benjamin Franklin's Kite đŞâĄ - DAY BEFORE THAT:
Who You Gonna Call? - DAY BEFORE BEFORE THAT:
Crazy Frog v Coldplay
Join Club Retrospectors
Ditch the ads and get an exclusive Sunday episode every week – all when you join Club Retrospectors on Apple Podcasts.
On our Patreon, there’s three tiers to choose from, each with their own wonderful perks, from ad-free versions to BIRTHDAY SURPRISES.
OLLY MANN
Olly Mann made his name with another trivia-wielding podcast, Answer Me This! with Helen Zaltzman – and now presents The Modern Mann, The Week Unwrapped, and Four Thought for BBC Radio Four. He also has an A-Level in History, so Dan Snow beware.
REBECCA MESSINA
Rebecca got a passion for podcasting  working at The Week magazine and a passion for trivia appearing on University Challenge in 2011, making The Retrospectors her natural home.
ARION MCNICOLL
Arion started out in satirical news in Australia, then moved to the UK to work for ostensibly serious publications including The Times, CNN, and The Week⌠before realising that since around 2016 the news has all been satire really.
Do you have a day of note that we should cover? Or would you or your business like to support the podcast? Get in touch!
