Concetti Chiave
- The devil represents a source of temptation, using sex, power, and illusions as his tools against human morality and faith.
- St. Augustine views the devil as part of God's plan, allowing evil to exist so that good can also prevail for those with God's grace.
- Pope Gregory in the sixth century described a hierarchical universe, with Lucifer as a fallen seraph, reflecting medieval theological beliefs.
- The Second Council of Nicaea in 787 debated the nature of angels and demons, ultimately leading to the concept of them as purely spiritual entities.
- The devil's popular image evolved from a pagan god with goat-like features, symbolizing unrestrained nature and sensuality, becoming a prototype for the horned devil.
La tentazione del diavolo
The devil is a perennial source of temptation: sex, power, all forms of worldly illusion are his weapons. The hermits in the desert, like Antonio (in the late fourth century) are besieged by demons, against which offer their moral strength, prayer and asceticism. For St. Augustine, the devil is not just an enemy rebellious to God, hostile to his creation: he is part of the great plan of God who has allowed evil to exist for the good to also exist, in the end even the presence of the devil is a structure that is part of a good universe, for those who have the grace of God can obtain that which is good. According to Pope Gregory (sixth century), the universe has a hierarchical structure, from the deepest part of hell to the top of heaven, and between men and God, there are several categories of good spirits, angels. The highest angelic hierarchy, the closest to God, consists of the Seraphim: Lucifer was the highest of the Angels, so he was a seraph. This vision survives throughout the Middle Ages, to arrive at the conception of the Divine Comedy by Dante.
L'immaginario popolare del diavolo
But the fact of the matter still remains what we think a devil looks like? Regarding this matter the discussions were endless; the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 agreed that the angels and the devils had a body, but invisible and subtle, such as air or fire; subsequently, the idea prevailed that angels and demons were only spiritual creatures without any contact with matter (Lateran Council of 1215). But as it featured in the popular imagination this creature was of evil: The major culprit is a pagan god, he was a God setting, pictured with the head and feet of goat. He was a god of nature: chasing nymphs, had an inordinate sensuality, he suddenly appeared in the wilderness and caused madness. This form of God is that of the senses and the instinct of life, for its characteristics and for its looks were ugly and scary, and he became the prototype of the horned devil himself, tempter, tied to the joys of the world, equipped with cloven feet.
There are other iconographic models which were used to imagine the devil (often taken from the animal, such as bats) but this god of the free pagan nature began to be imagined, by the end of the ancient era, as the prototype of the "great enemy" .
Domande da interrogazione
- ¿Cuál es el papel del diablo según San Agustín?
- ¿Cómo describe el Papa Gregorio la estructura del universo?
- ¿Qué decisión tomó el Segundo Concilio de Nicea sobre la naturaleza de los ángeles y demonios?
- ¿Cómo se transformó la imagen del diablo en la imaginación popular?
Para San Agustín, el diablo no es solo un enemigo rebelde a Dios, sino que forma parte del gran plan de Dios, permitiendo que el mal exista para que también exista el bien.
Según el Papa Gregorio, el universo tiene una estructura jerárquica que va desde lo más profundo del infierno hasta la cima del cielo, con varias categorías de buenos espíritus, como los ángeles, entre los hombres y Dios.
El Segundo Concilio de Nicea en 787 acordó que los ángeles y los demonios tenían un cuerpo, pero invisible y sutil, como el aire o el fuego.
La imagen del diablo se transformó en la imaginación popular a partir de un dios pagano de la naturaleza, representado con cabeza y pies de cabra, que se convirtió en el prototipo del diablo cornudo, tentador y asociado a los placeres del mundo.