Dante Alighieri (often referred to simply as "Dante") was a legendary Italian poet, author and philosopher who is best known for his revolutionary epic poem "The Divine Comedy," a work that is considered one of the finest works of literature ever created and even helped establish the modern Italian language itself. Born to an aristocratic family in Florence, Dante grew up in a time of great political turmoil. When he was not studying philosophy, he served as a soldier and fought in local battles and skirmishes throughout his life, sometimes becoming embroiled in regional politics. Dante began work on the Comedy in 1308 and completed in 1321, shortly before he died of malaria. The poem - broken into three parts that detail Dante's imagined trip to the afterlife - has since gone on to become one of the most revered poems in history and influenced the writings of countless authors over the centuries, including Geoffrey Chaucer, John Milton and Alfred Tennyson.