Sicurano da Finale and Paganino da Mare: of Corsairs, Merchants, and Identity in the Late Middle Ages

Abstract

Day II of the Decameron is the first in which the brigata characters follow a set theme in narrating their stories. Under the rule of Filomena, they must relate “di chi da diverse cose infestato, sia oltre alla speranza riuscito a lieto fine” [of those who, beset by different misfortunes, in the end succeed beyond their hopes] (124). Since Filomena had chosen this topic because “dal principio del mondo gli uomini sieno stati da diversi casi della fortuna menati” [from the world’s beginning, human beings have been challenged by different instances of Fortune] (124), stories on this day revolve around the whims of Fortune: more specifically, Fortune stirred up by the vagaries of travel. That travel increases the chances for a character’s fortune to change is obvious: outside of one’s environment, in contact with situation and places that are not familiar, people are more prone to overreach or make mistakes that lead to bad luck; conversely, travel also leads to chance encounters of a positive nature through the establishment of new contacts, and personal and business associations. Not surprisingly, then, most of the eventful ups and downs of fortune that occur to the characters are related to mercantile transactions,¹ especially as they pertain to travel by sea.²