The Consolation of Philosophy was written in 523 AD during a one-year imprisonment Boethius served while awaiting trial for the crime of treason against King Theodoric the Great. The text examines how evil can exist in a world governed by God and how happiness is still attainable amidst fickle fortune, and considers the nature of happiness and God.

Consolation of Philosophy (Latin: Consolatio Philosophiae) is a philosophical work by Boethius, written around the year 524. It has been described as the single most important and influential work in the West on Medieval and early Renaissance Christianity, and is also the last great Western work of the Classical Period. Anicius Manlius Severinus Boëthius, commonly called Boethius (c. 480–524 or 525 AD), was a philosopher of the early 6th century. He was born in Rome to an ancient and prominent family which included emperors Petronius Maximus and Olybrius and many consuls. His father, Flavius Manlius Boethius, was consul in 487 after Odoacer deposed the last Western Roman Emperor. Boethius, of the noble Anicia family, entered public life at a young age and was already a senator by the age of 25. Boethius himself was consul in 510 in the kingdom of the Ostrogoths. In 522 he saw his two sons become consuls. Boethius was imprisoned and eventually executed by King Theodoric the Great, who suspected him of conspiring with the Eastern Roman Empire. While jailed, Boethius composed his Consolation of Philosophy, a philosophical treatise on fortune, death, and other issues. The Consolation became one of the most popular and influential works of the Middle Ages.

Excerpt from Consolation of Philosophy That you may long continue to unite the favour of your Sovereign with theconfidence of every real patriot; is the fincere wifh of. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Entirely faithful to Boethius' Latin; Relihan's translation makes the philosophy of the Consolation intelligible to readers; it gives equal weight to the poetry--in fact, Relihan's metrical translation of Boethius' metro are themselves contributions of the first moment to Boethian studies. Boethius finally has a translator equal to his prodigious talents and his manifold vision. --Joseph Pucci, Brown University

Composed while its author was imprisoned, this book remains one of Western literature’s most eloquent meditations on the transitory nature of earthly belongings, and the superiority of things of the mind. Slavitt’s translation captures the energy and passion of the original. And in an introduction intended for the general reader, Seth Lerer places Boethius’s life and achievement in context.

Excerpt from The Consolation of Philosophy of Boethius Boethius' complaint (song I). - ch. I Philosophy appears to Boethius, drives away the Muses of Poetry, and herself laments (song II) the dis ordered condition of his mind - ch. II Boethius is speechless with amazement. Philosophy wipes away the tears that have clouded his eyesight. Oh. III Boethius recognizes his mistress Philoso phy. To his wondering inquiries she explains her presence, and recalls to his mind the persecu tions to which Philosophy has oftentimes from of old been subjected by an ignorant world. Oh. IV: Philosophy bids Boethius declare his griefs. He relates the story of his unjust accusa tion and ruin. He concludes with a prayer (song V) that the moral disorder in human afiairs may be set right - oh. V Philosophy admits the justice of Boethius' self-vindication, but grieves rather for the unhappy change in his mind. She will first tranquillize his spirit by soothing reme dies - ch. VI Philosophy tests Boethius' mental state by certain questions, and discovers three chief causes of his soul's sickness (1) He has for gotten his own true nature; (2) he knows not the end towards which the whole universe tends (3) he knows not the means bv which the world is governed. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.