The Forgotten Poet Duel

I forget the man's name, but I once read an account of a 17th-century Neapolitan nobleman who had fought more than 20 duels (and killed 14 people) over the matter of who was the greatest Italian poet, Dante or Ariosto. Seeking salvation on his deathbed, the duelist admitted he had never read the poetry of either man.

A bearded man wearing a medieval-style helmet smiles beneath a long anecdote about a nobleman who fought over which poet was greater, despite never reading either poet. The punchline is the absurd contrast between the deadly seriousness of the duelist and his complete ignorance of the subject; it is shared as a reaction to extreme confidence, pointless arguments, or people passionately debating things they do not understand. EN: A bearded man wearing a medieval-style helmet smiles beneath a long anecdote about a nobleman who fought over which poet was greater, despite never reading either poet. The punchline is the absurd contrast between the deadly seriousness of the duelist and his complete ignorance of the subject; it is shared as a reaction to extreme confidence, pointless arguments, or people passionately debating things they do not understand.

• @eternalclassic / 31874 2023-04-30