Happy people Quote by Dante Alighieri
““Let them cease, then, to insult the Roman empire, who pretend that they are the sons of the Church; when they see that Christ, the bridegroom of the Church, sanctioned the Roman empire at the beginning and at the end of His warfare on earth. And now I think that I have made it sufficiently clear that it was by right that the Romans acquired to themselves the empire of the world. Oh happy people, oh Ausonia, how glorious hadst thou been, if either he, that weakener of thine empire, had never been born, or if his own pious intention had never deceived him?””
About This Quote
Source Epic poem: "Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri, 1320
Critiques the Roman Empire’s claim to divine right, suggesting its power is flawed and contingent on human weakness.
In simple terms: The empire’s power is flawed and contingent.
Key Takeaway
Question authority’s divine claims.
Themes
power
religion
history
Mood
critical
scholarly
Type
literary
theological
When to use this quote
- historical analysis
- religious critique
- philosophical debate
Key Concepts
theology
political legitimacy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does divine justification affect power?
- What lessons apply to today’s institutions?
A Different Perspective
Historical context may differ from modern interpretations.
![“[Instead] of inquiring why the Roman empire was destroyed, we should rather be surprised that it had subsisted so long.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f89/edward-gibbon-710_destroyed_instead-of-inquiring-why-the-roman-empir_626622.jpg)
