Commentary Par VI 43-45

Dante records two major military victories of the ensuing republican period.  'Brennus, leader of the Senonian Gauls, who in 390 B.C. crossed the Apennines, defeated the Romans at the Allia, and took Rome; after besieging the capitol for six months he quitted the city upon receiving 1,000 pounds of gold as a ransom for the capitol and returned home safe with his booty.  According to later tradition (followed by Livy), at the moment when the gold was being weighed and Brennus, declaring the Roman weights to be false, had thrown his sword into the scale, Camillus and a Roman army appeared, fell upon the Gauls, and slaughtered them' (Brenno).  'Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, born 318 B.C., died 272 B.C.; he claimed descent from Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles and great-grandson of Aeacus.  In 280 Pyrrhus crossed over into Italy at the invitation of the Tarentines to help them in their war against the Romans' (Pirro-2).

This tercet begins a passage dedicated to the Roman republic ([Par VI 43-54]).  For a clear understanding of Dante's allegiance to republican ideals and principles, see Davis, 'Ptolemy of Lucca and the Roman Republic' (1974) and 'Roman Patriotism and Republican Propaganda: Ptolemy of Lucca and Pope Nicholas III' (1975), both reprinted in Davi.1984.1, pp. 254-89 and 224-53, respectively; and see Hollander and Rossi (Holl.1986.1) and C.Par.XXVII.61-63.