Dante, Virgilio, Ennio

The paper deals with the possible remembrance in Dante, Inferno 31,18 of Vergil, Aen. 503-504 and Ennius, Ann. 451 S.. We have Ennius’ verse through Priscianus Ars (full text) and Servius commentary to Vergil. During the Carolngian Renaissance in the IXth century in Reims scriptorium several copies of Priscianus’ Ars were available and Servius passage was emended with the complete Ennius’ quotation as shown in ms. Vat. Reg. lat. 1669. Servius commentary was very popular in France and Italy during the XIVth and the XVth century and it’s highly probable that Dante, reading in a contemporary manuscript Aeneis surrounded with Servius commentary (see e.g. the magnificent Vergilius Ambrosianus), has been inspired by the sonitus terribilis in conceiving the verse devoted to Roland.

Possibile ricordo in Dante, Inferno 31,18 di Verg. Aen. 503.504 ed Ennius, Ann. 451 S. Ennio, citato da Prisciano e da Servio sarebbe stato recepito nel commento virgiliano nello scriptorium di Reims, importante snodo culturale carolingio (si veda il ms. Reg. lat. 1669) e di qui sarebbe arrivato ai codici umanistici (e.g. Virgilio Ambrosiano) fruibili dal Fiorentino.