The Consolation of Philosophy
by Boethius · De consolatione philosophiae
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 524
- Language
- Latin
- Length
- Short · 150 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Moderate2 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Consolation of Philosophy, translated by P. G. WalshOxford World's Classics, 2008Accurate prose with verse for the metra, and a full introduction; Victor Watts's Penguin is the other standard choice.
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Written in prison while Boethius, a Roman senator and scholar, awaited execution on a charge of treason under the Ostrogothic king Theodoric. Lady Philosophy appears in his cell and, alternating prose argument with verse, leads him from self-pity to understanding. Fortune's wheel turns for everyone; true happiness lies only in the good, which is God; evil has no real power; and God's foreknowledge, seen from eternity, does not take away human free will. The book was among the most read in medieval Europe.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns The Consolation of Philosophy are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
