Boethius's "Consolation of Philosophy" is considered one of the most important and influential works of medieval times. Written during Boethius's year-long imprisonment for treason which would ultimately lead to his torturous execution, "Consolation of Philosophy" is a classical exposition of human nature as Boethius reflects on the treacherous betrayal by his friends that led to his fall from favor with his lord. Presented here in this volume is...

While in prison awaiting a brutal execution, Boethius produced arguably the most famous work of early medieval philosophy and literature, the celebrated Consolation of Philosophy. In alternating sections of prose and poetry, Boethius describes the circumstances of his rapid fall from the upper echelons of society and power. In a conversation with lady Philosophy, Boethius discusses the perennial questions of human existence: the possibility of human...

The Consolation of Philosophy is one of the key works in the rich tradition of Western philosophy, partly because of the circumstances in which it was written. Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (c480-c524) was of aristocratic Roman birth and became consul and then master of offices at Ravenna, one of the highest posts under the Ostrogothic Roman ruler Theodoric. But Boethius was unjustly charged with treason in 524, and this led to house arrest,...

In this work, Boethius discusses the question of the eternity of the world, whether it is a permanent fixture, and therefore static, or it has a distinctive beginning and end. Boethius employs Aristotelian thought and scholastic methods to come to this conclusion, which he learned through his continental church studies.

The Consolation of Philosophy of Boethius / translated into English Prose and Verse by H. R. James