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Dante and Virgil meet Statius, a poet of the first century C.E., as they’re leaving the level of Purgatory where covetousness is purged. Because Statius has just been released from Purgatory for Heaven, he’s able to guide the other two through the upper levels. Dante describes Statius as a Christian who concealed his faith and also spent money too freely, sins for which he did centuries of penance in Purgatory. Like Dante, Statius’s poetry was inspired by Virgil, and Statius is thrilled to meet his literary hero in the afterlife. In Canto 25, Statius delivers a discourse on the nature of body and soul.
Statius Quotes in Purgatorio
The Purgatorio quotes below are all either spoken by Statius or refer to Statius. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Canto 21 Quotes
Tremors strike here when any soul feels pure
and rises, newly cleansed, to start its climb.
And that cry follows as the soul ascends.
The will alone gives proof of purity
when, wholly free to change its sacred place,
it aids and sweeps the soul up, willing well.
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Canto 25 Quotes
Open your heart. Receive the coming truth.
Know this: when once the foetal brain is brought
to full articulation in the womb,
the Primal Cause of Motion turns in joy
to see so much of Nature’s art, and breathes
new breath of spirit filled with power within,
which draws all active elements it finds
into its being and thus forms one soul
which lives and feels and turns as conscious self.
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Statius Character Timeline in Purgatorio
The timeline below shows where the character Statius appears in Purgatorio. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Canto 21
Virgil wants to know who this soul might be, and he identifies himself as Statius, an ancient poet. Recalling his earthly career, Statius names the Aeneid as his “nurse in...
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Canto 22
Having been cleansed by an angel of the sin of covetousness, Dante follows Statius and Virgil upward. Kindly, Virgil asks Statius how a wise man like himself ended up...
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Canto 23
As Dante idles behind Virgil and Statius, Virgil urges him onward, reminding him that their appointed time should be used wisely. They’re...
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Canto 25
Dante, Virgil, and Statius continue their climb, reaching a narrow stairway they must climb single-file. Seeing Dante’s puzzled expression,...
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Canto 27
Virgil, Dante, and Statius step into the fire. Immediately, the heat is so intense that Dante wishes he could...
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Canto 32
...recovers, he sees that the procession has turned and begun to march eastward. He and Statius follow. A short distance away, they come to a bare tree, and everyone murmurs, “Adam.”...
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Canto 33
...in the distance, and Matilda explains that this is Eunoe. She draws both Dante and Statius toward the water. Dante takes an inexpressibly sweet drink and withdraws from the stream feeling...
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