Dante’s Divine Comedy, Purgatorio: Canto 1 – The Cleansing Begins
Canto 1 It is just before dawn on Easter Sunday, April 10, 1300 when Dante and Virgil arrive on the shores of the island-mountain of Purgatory (see Purgatory Introduction). Upon making ground they encounter Cato – a Roman military leader who lived from 95-46 B.C. and who committed suicide after he was defeated in the rebellion against Julius…