In The Divine Comedy, Dante’s “master and guide” on his poetic journey through Hell is the Roman poet Virgil, whose creativity and eloquence he reveres, and whose wisdom and virtue he plainly admires. Yet for all his virtue, Virgil is barred from accompanying the poet to Paradise: he has “lost the chance of Heaven for no other fault than not having faith”. This is the fate not just of Virgil, but of countless “virtuous pagans” who had the misfortune to go through life without hearing the Christian message of salvation. Virgil, their spokesman, makes their situation unambiguously clear: “They did not sin, and although they have merit, it is not enough (non basta), because they did not receive baptism.” If this is the Christian message,