The Arrival at Purgatory and Cato of Utica

Dante and Virgil emerge on the shore of Mount Purgatory. The sky is clear and sapphire, and Venus shines in the east. Dante sees four stars never seen before except by the primal people. An old man with a long beard, Cato of Utica, appears and questions them, demanding to know how they escaped Hell. Virgil explains that a Lady from Heaven sent him to guide Dante, and that Dante seeks liberty. Cato, moved by the mention of his wife Marcia, grants them passage but instructs Virgil to gird Dante with a smooth rush and wash his face to remove the stains of Hell. He points to the shore where rushes grow. This encounter establishes Cato as the guardian of Purgatory, a symbol of political and spiritual liberty.