Justinian

Phoebe Traquair (1852-1936, Irish), Second and Third Heavens [in] Traquair and Black, Dante illustrations and notes, 1890. Edinburgh : Privately printed by T. & A. Constable. Rare Books, Archives and Special Collections

Justinian I (484-565) was the Byzantine emperor responsible for reviving the Roman Empire and its associated culture and power in Europe. In Paradiso Canto VI, Justinian explains the history of the Empire to Dante and Beatrice. The emperor resides in the second sphere of Heaven, the sphere of Mercury, where virtuous rulers who nevertheless allowed ambition and a desire for glory dwell. Later, in Canto XVIII Dante and Beatrice gaze upon the souls who comprise the Roman Empire and pray for the justice of those who corrupt the Church.

John Flaxman (1755-1826, English), The Planet Mercury, Compositions By John Flaxman, Sculptor, R.A. From The Divine Poem Of Dante Alighieri, Containing Hell, Purgatory And Paradise, 1807. London : Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme. Rare Books, Archives and Special Collections