Inferno, Mythology, and Religion

When reading through Dante's Inferno it was very evident that mythological events, particularly Greek and Roman mythology were very influential to Dante. It's curious to me that most of the members of Hell mentioned were either Italians which Dante recognized or famous Greek figures such as Achilles, Ulysses, Helen, and Aeneas. Something that bothered me was how focused this depiction of Hell was, in that it didn't really communicate the amount of people in each circle. It seemed strange to me that almost no others were mentioned. I'd imagine that millions of people would be in Hell if it was a worldwide phenomenon but that doesn't seem important to Dante. Instead he chooses to focus on his own political situation, as well as the characters of old Greek epics. The fact that there is so much importance placed on the Greek epics coincides with Dante's study of classical literature, however may have been confused by the readers of that generation.

Though only some would be able to acquire the Divine Comedy it seems that Inferno is a weird mix of mythology and politics. While the mythological references are understandable based on the focus on Virgil, constant references to the Aeneid, the Odyssey and Metamorphoses almost seem excessive. It seems like Dante ripped his view of Hell from descriptions of the Underworld, with the Greek Cerberus described as "an outlandish, vicious beast, his three throats barking..." (Canto VI, Line 14-15). Other references included Charon, the River Styx, and Achilles. Wouldn't this kind of description be considered blasphemous? Or is it okay because it is describing those who go to Hell? With the traditional monotheistic disdain for pagan ideals, this adaptation seems strange if Inferno is to be seen as a religious text.

I feel as if though Inferno is commonly referred to as a text that warns of the dangers of Hell and the dangers of going against God, however it does it in a way that takes many liberties in that it feels more like a story than a religious text (ala New Testament). By using all of these polytheistic traditional stories as reference points it almost diminishes the religious legitimacy of the novel, and instead turns the reader towards Dante himself as both the poet and the journeyer, as well as his relationship with Virgil.