Purgatorio: Cantos XX-XXII

Dante and Virgil and minding their own business and wading through all the greedy sinners of the fifth terrace lying on their faces, when the ground trembles- it's an earthquake! The repentant sinners then start crying out praises to God. When Dante recovers from the frightful experience, a shade arises from among the sinners and introduces himself as the Christian roman poet Statius. Virgil and Statius have a good conversation about poetry. Statius exclaims that he's such a big fan of the poet Virgil that he would gladly endure more punishment just to see him. Dante holds back laughter knowing that Virgil is right there and Statius doesn't even know it. At first Virgil throws Dante a look meaning to hold his tongue but relents when Statius gets suspicious. Statius throws himself at Virgil's feet after Dante tells him but Virgil regards him as an equal.
Virgil is puzzled that Statius was on the greedy terrace since he has such zeal. But there are two kinds of greed- avarice (miserly like Ebeneezer Scrooge) and prodigal (spend thrift like the prodigal son). Statius proclaims he was the latter of the two.