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- The Empyrean is the highest sphere of Heaven, in which God, the angels, and the saints dwell. The Empyrean is the summit of Dante ’s journey through the afterlife, and it’s in this light -filled space that he experiences a firsthand vision of God.
www.litcharts.com/lit/paradiso/terms/empyrean
In ancient European cosmologies inspired by Aristotle, the Empyrean Heaven, Empyreal or simply the Empyrean, was the place in the highest heaven, which was supposed to be occupied by the element of fire (or aether in Aristotle's natural philosophy).
The Empyrean is an immaterial heaven, made up only of the love and metaphysical light which God is. It is in the Empyrean that the angels and the blessed also dwell. As we shall see, however, throughout his journey Dante also meets different groups of souls in the different heavens.
- First Sphere
- Second Sphere
- Third Sphere
- Fourth Sphere
- Fifth Sphere
- Sixth Sphere
- Seventh Sphere
- Eighth Sphere
- Ninth Sphere
When entering the “Realm of Heaven”, Dante and Beatrice enter the First Sphere of Heaven or the Moon. Here, they see the souls of those who failed to keep their vows including the sister of Dante’s friend Forese Donati, Piccarda Donati and Queen Constance of Sicily, both of whom were forced from their convents. Beatrice explains to Dante why their ...
In the Second Sphere of Heaven or Mercury, Dante and his guide Beatrice meet the souls of those who were just and righteous during their earthly lives but were primarily driven by ambition. The poet speaks to the Byzantine Emperor Justinian who tells him the history of the Roman Empire, speaking, among other things, about Julius Caesar, Augustus, J...
The Third Sphere of Heaven or Venus is home to the souls of lovers who “earned” their place in heaven with their love for God and humanity. Here, Dante meets the young prince Charles Martel of Anjou who speaks about the influence of factors other than heredity on an individual’s character and qualities. The Italian poet also meets the soul of Cuniz...
When reaching the Fourth Sphere of Heaven or the Sun, Dante and Beatrice are surrounded by a crown consisting of St. Thomas Aquinas and eleven other souls of wise men who also include Boethius, King Solomon, Peter Lombard and the Venerable Bede, to mention some of the most famous ones. Then a second crown of twelve wise men appears with St. Bonaven...
The Fifth Sphere of Heaven or Mars is home to holy warriors, whose souls are forming the shape of a cross. Here, Dante is approached by the soul of his great-great-grandfather Cacciaguida who was killed during the Second Crusade. He speaks about Florence’s glorious (and very idealized) past and criticizes its later decline. Also, he (correctly) pre...
The Sixth Sphere of Heaven or Jupiter is “inhabited” by the souls of just rulers. They spell out the Latin phrase “diligite iustitiam qui iudicatis terram” (English: “cherish justice, you who judge the earth”) and then form a giant eagle that speaks to Dante about divine justice and inscrutability. Rulers who are identified to form the eagle includ...
In the Seventh Sphere of Heaven or Saturn, Dante encounters the spirits of people who dedicated their lives to prayer, climbing up and down a golden ladder. In this sphere, the poet speaks to St. Peter Damian who points out to the corruption of the Church but he also meets St. Benedict who is infuriated with the Church’s moral decline as well. St. ...
Dante and Beatrice enter the Eighth Sphere of Heaven or Fixed Stars in the constellation of Gemini. Here, the poet and his guide see the Virgin Mary and other Biblical saints including the apostles of Peter, John and James who test Dante on faith, love and hope. Then Dante sees Adam who tells him how old he is, how long he lived in Eden, why God go...
The last of the 9 Spheres of Heaven or the Primum Mobile is also the last stop before the Empyrean and the last of the physical Heavens as the Empyrean is beyond space and time. After a brief discussion with Beatrice on the place they’ve come to, Dante sees an intensely bright light surrounded by nine circles which, as he soon learns, are the nine ...
The Empyrean is the highest sphere of Heaven, in which God, the angels, and the saints dwell. The Empyrean is the summit of Dante ’s journey through the afterlife, and it’s in this light -filled space that he experiences a firsthand vision of God.
May 7, 2013 · Specifically, it has been suggested that he may be envisioning the first heaven as the “atmospheric” heaven inhabited by the birds, and the second heaven as the “celestial” heaven inhabited by the stars. The third heaven would then be the “empyrean” heaven or dwelling place of God.
It is suffused with great light which they believe resembles the light of fire, but without its heat, and for this reason, they call it Empyrean, or fiery. They declare that it shines with no star, is not mobile, square, round, corporeal, nor has it been created, but is a certain celestial something.
Christian and Muslim philosophers modified Ptolemy's system to include an unmoved outermost region, the empyrean heaven, which came to be identified as the dwelling place of God and all the elect. [49]
