(almost) surrounded and taken captive, were forced to flee back to the companies of foot. This rout was what made the people of Arezzo lose the battle, because their victorious cavalry, having pursued the fugitives for a great distance, got separated from the foot companies, so that, from that time on, they nowhere fought together, but the cavalry by themselves, without the aid of the infantry, and the infantry by themselves, without the aid of the cavalry. On the Florentine side, exactly the contrary took place. The cavalry having been forced back to the infantry, the two formed one body, and easily conquered, first the cavalry, and then the infantry. Dante describes this battle in one of his letters, and tells us that he was present in it, and draws the form of the battle." This letter of Dante's has not come down to us, nor was it seen or mentioned by any one after Bruni. This author mentions also another letter of Dante's, which is lost for us, in which the poet said: "Ten years had already passed since the battle of Campaldino, in which the Ghibelline party was almost entirely killed and destroyed, in which I was present, no child in arms, and in which I had much fear, but, in the end, the greatest joy, on account of the various events of the battle." It follows from the words "no child in arms (non rudis belli), that Dante was already at that time experienced in warlike matters, and we may, therefore, infer that this was not the first contest in which he was present. The same thing follows from the statement of Bruni, that Dante had already acquired the reputation of being a valiant youth before the battle of Campaldino, and this could not have happened unless he had previ (Quadbeen in other warlike actions. Nor did Dante lack The Nities for exercising himself in such actions before the these seven Casentino. Some suppose that he took part in the in rhyme" (the Florentines against the people of Arezzo in love for Beatrichi's Cronica, VII, 120, 124), and make Dante's words in the twenty-second canto of the Hell refer to this.1 But, as we are without positive data, such suppositions can claim to be nothing more than conjectures more or less happy, more or less probable. On the siege of the castle of Caprona, which capitulated, after a few days' resistance, in August, 1289, see Villani's Cronica, VIII, 137; Ammirato, Istorie Fiorentine, Bk. III, an. 1289, etc. By the testimony of Dante himself (Hell, XXI, 94 sqq.), we know that he took part in this expedition of the Florentines and Luccans, and was present when the castle capitulated to the besiegers. $9. CONTEMPORARY EVENTS. Apart from the warlike enterprises in which Dante took part, the great events of this period, in Florence and elsewhere, must not only have attracted his attention, but must also have exerted a greater or less influence upon his thoughts and his ideas (cf. § 5). At Florence, banishments alternated with treaties of peace between the different parties; to the discords between Guelphs and Ghibellines were added discords between the powerful families. The people rose up against the lords, and instituted a new [1 I have erewhile seen horsemen moving camp, Tournaments stricken and the joustings run, And with our own and with outlandish things form of government. And, in the midst of these convulsions, the dawn of a new era was breaking. The Commune decreed the extension of the city walls, giving the contract to Arnolfo. The same Commune further decreed the abolition of slavery, imitating the example set by Bologna and afterwards by Cunizza [da Romano 1] in the houses of the Cavalcanti, and proclaiming, in modern speech, the rights of man. Folco Portinari, the father of Dante's beloved Beatrice, erected a hospital for the poor, which the Commune called the "Column of State," devoting a large sum of money to it annually as alms. Toward the end of this period, Charles Martel, crowned a few months afterward King of Hungary, visited Florence, and did not disdain to grant his friendship to the young poet. In the other parts of Italy those acts of treachery and barbarism were going on which Dante has made forever memorable in his verse; and Sicily, in its Vespers, showed what evil fruit is ripened by "that evil lordship which always afflicts the subject peoples" [Parad., VIII, 73 sq.]. As it is no part of our present purpose to relate the history of the time, we refer the reader to the contemporary chroniclers and historians, and only offer here a chronological bird'seye view of the principal contemporary events, especially of those mentioned by our poet. 1268. Conradin, grandson of Frederic II, fights with Charles Victor at first, he is afterwards vanquished, of Anjou. [1 See Parad., IX, 32 sqq.] taken captive by treachery, condemned to death and beheaded. Cf. Hell, XXVIII, 17 sqq., and Purg., XX, 67 sqq. 1269. Victory of the Florentines, near Colle di Valdelsa, over the Sienese and other Ghibellines, under the command of Provenzan Salviati and Count Guido Novello. Cf. Purg., XI, 12 sqq.; XIII, 115 sqq. 1271. Guy de Montfort murders Prince Henry, nephew of Henry III of England, in a church at Viterbo. Cf. Hell, XII, 118 sqq. 1273. Attempts of Pope Gregory X to restore peace in FlorFour days' peace. The city placed under interdict. ence. The Ghibellines finally readmitted. 1274. Death of Thomas Aquinas, supposed to have been poisoned at the instigation of Charles of Anjou. Cf. Purg., XX, 67-69; Parad., X, 99; XII, 110. [Death of John Fidanza (St. Bonaventura). Cf. Parad., XII, 127 sqq.] 1275. The Ghibellines again expelled from Florence. — Branca d' Oria treacherously kills Michele Zanca, in order to obtain the judicature of Logodoro, in Sardinia. Cf. Hell, XXII, 88; XXXIII, 136 sqq. 1276. Execution of Pierre de la Brosse, grand chamberlain of Philip the Bold. Cf. Purg., VI, 19 sqq. 1277. Nicholas III (degli Orsini) succeeds Hadrian V in the papacy. Cf. Hell, XIX, 31 sqq.; Purg., XIX, 27 sqq. 1278. Discords at Florence between the Adimari and the Donati, the Tosinghi and the Pazzi. Peace restored by Cardinal Latino, legate of Nicholas III. - Death of Ottokar II, king of Bohemia. Cf. Purg., VII, 100 sqq. [1 The author, trusting to Italian chronicles, places this event in 1270, and calls Henry son of the English king; but see Pearson's History of England during the Early and Middle Ages, Vol. II, p. 279.] 1279. Master Adam of Brescia, counterfeiter of gold florins, burnt alive. Cf. Hell, XXX, 61 sqq. Expelled Ghibellines return to Florence. 1281. Martin IV elected Pope. Cf. Purg., XXIV, 20 sqq. · Death of Sordello (?). Cf. Purg., VI, 74 sqq. - Guido da Montefeltro defeats the French at Forlì. Cf. Hell, XXVII, 43 sqq. 1282. The Sicilian Vespers. Cf. Parad., VIII, 73 sqq. — The Florentines abolish the office of the Fourteen, and create, in its place, that of the Priors. Law against the Grandees. 1284. The Pisans defeated by the Genoese at Meloria: the greatest naval battle of the Middle Ages. - Philip the Fair ascends the throne. - Death of Peter III of Aragon. Cf. Purg., VII, 103 sqq. 1285. The Commune of Florence decrees a new extension of the city walls. 1287. Abolition of slavery in Florence. From now till 1289, war against the Ghibellines of Arezzo. Cf. § 8. 1288. Founding of the Hospital. 1289. Death of Count Ugolino. Cf. Hell, XXXII, 124Charles Martel in Florence. Cf. Parad., XXXIII, 78. |