Flammifer
Well-Known Member
Barratry is usually defined in the context of Dante as fraud by those in government. This can either be through taking bribes to enable, or expedite, or evade government bureaucracy, or through corruption in subverting government funds (taxpayer money) to personal wealth.
In Maritime law, barratry is also the crime of maritime fraud (any maritime fraud). For example sinking your ship (pretending it to be an accident) to claim the insurance payout, is barratry.
I'm not sure whether this maritime definition applied in Italy at the time of Dante, but if it did it would be one reason to cite Venice when writing about this sin, as Venice was the pre-eminent maritime power.
The Venice Arsenal was the largest industrial enterprise in Europe. It was a huge factory. In Dante's time, it probably employed more than 4,000 people. At it's peak, some 200 years after Dante, it employed 16,000 people. Mass production was invented there. In the 1500s, the Arsenal was tasked with being able to build a galley in a day from pre-stocked standardized parts, and to have on hand enough parts to build 100 galleys in case Venice needed to replace or reinforce her navy in a hurry.
The Arsenal was government owned and operated. In Dante's day, it was probably the largest and most expensive civil government organization in Europe. Larger and more expensive than any standing Army or Navy (of which there were few or none).
So, if Dante was looking at the sin of the bureaucratic fraud of barratry, there was probably no better place to exemplify it.
Contrary to the discussion in class, in Dante's time, there was no connection between the Arsenal, and merchants or merchant shipping. The Arsenal was a purely military establishment. It built and maintained the Venetian Republic's warships, weapons, and armor.
It was in 1320 (the year of publication of the 'Divine Comedy') that Venice built the 'New Arsenal' which was added to the original Arsenal and was devoted to building merchant ships.
So, the Arsenal was a military only enterprise in Dante's time. This might tie in to the military references attached to the fart joke. Military enterprises were really the only very large government enterprises in Dante's day. The best temptations and opportunities for barratry were undoubtedly to be found in the military bureaucracy. Is the fart joke meant to show the disrespect of the barrators (who are siphoning off the money meant for defence), for the warriors who are ready to fight and die for the State?
How much corruption plagued the Arsenal is difficult to say. However, recent history in Venice for Dante would have been the Venice coup attempt of 1310, partly fueled by charges of corruption in the State, which led to the introduction of The Council of 10 into the Venetian government structure. A very secretive Council tasked with protecting the security of the State, and countering corruption. This Council was soon said to operate the most extensive intelligence and spy network in Europe. Venice was also early to invent, and first to publish texts on accounting and double entry book-keeping. Also useful tools to fight barratry.
So, it is no surprise that Dante chose to cite the Arsenal of Venice when describing the ditch of the barrators.
Now, as the Arsenal was also a giant bureaucracy, and factory, with specialized workers, and layers of supervisors, If William Blake had been the author, he might have seen the Arsenal as an example of his 'Dark Satanic Mills'. JRR Tolkien might have compared it to the 'pits and forges' which marred the once fair valley of Isengard.
Did Dante share some of this view? Of industrialization and bureaucratization being un-natural and dehumanizing? Is the punishment of the Demons to be condemned forever to the somewhat thankless jobs of middle managers and supervisors?
In Maritime law, barratry is also the crime of maritime fraud (any maritime fraud). For example sinking your ship (pretending it to be an accident) to claim the insurance payout, is barratry.
I'm not sure whether this maritime definition applied in Italy at the time of Dante, but if it did it would be one reason to cite Venice when writing about this sin, as Venice was the pre-eminent maritime power.
The Venice Arsenal was the largest industrial enterprise in Europe. It was a huge factory. In Dante's time, it probably employed more than 4,000 people. At it's peak, some 200 years after Dante, it employed 16,000 people. Mass production was invented there. In the 1500s, the Arsenal was tasked with being able to build a galley in a day from pre-stocked standardized parts, and to have on hand enough parts to build 100 galleys in case Venice needed to replace or reinforce her navy in a hurry.
The Arsenal was government owned and operated. In Dante's day, it was probably the largest and most expensive civil government organization in Europe. Larger and more expensive than any standing Army or Navy (of which there were few or none).
So, if Dante was looking at the sin of the bureaucratic fraud of barratry, there was probably no better place to exemplify it.
Contrary to the discussion in class, in Dante's time, there was no connection between the Arsenal, and merchants or merchant shipping. The Arsenal was a purely military establishment. It built and maintained the Venetian Republic's warships, weapons, and armor.
It was in 1320 (the year of publication of the 'Divine Comedy') that Venice built the 'New Arsenal' which was added to the original Arsenal and was devoted to building merchant ships.
So, the Arsenal was a military only enterprise in Dante's time. This might tie in to the military references attached to the fart joke. Military enterprises were really the only very large government enterprises in Dante's day. The best temptations and opportunities for barratry were undoubtedly to be found in the military bureaucracy. Is the fart joke meant to show the disrespect of the barrators (who are siphoning off the money meant for defence), for the warriors who are ready to fight and die for the State?
How much corruption plagued the Arsenal is difficult to say. However, recent history in Venice for Dante would have been the Venice coup attempt of 1310, partly fueled by charges of corruption in the State, which led to the introduction of The Council of 10 into the Venetian government structure. A very secretive Council tasked with protecting the security of the State, and countering corruption. This Council was soon said to operate the most extensive intelligence and spy network in Europe. Venice was also early to invent, and first to publish texts on accounting and double entry book-keeping. Also useful tools to fight barratry.
So, it is no surprise that Dante chose to cite the Arsenal of Venice when describing the ditch of the barrators.
Now, as the Arsenal was also a giant bureaucracy, and factory, with specialized workers, and layers of supervisors, If William Blake had been the author, he might have seen the Arsenal as an example of his 'Dark Satanic Mills'. JRR Tolkien might have compared it to the 'pits and forges' which marred the once fair valley of Isengard.
Did Dante share some of this view? Of industrialization and bureaucratization being un-natural and dehumanizing? Is the punishment of the Demons to be condemned forever to the somewhat thankless jobs of middle managers and supervisors?
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