The Consolation of Philosophy

Name: The Consolation of Philosophy
Author: Boethius

Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (c. 480–524) was a Roman senator and philosopher of the early Middle Ages who served the Ostrogothic king Theodoric. Imprisoned and finally executed on suspicion of treason, he wrote The Consolation of Philosophy in his cell, a dialogue between himself and Lady Philosophy that became one of the most copied and translated books of the medieval West. Our library also carries his Theological Tractates.

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First published: 524
Category: Devotional
Length: 43k words · about 3 hours
Chapters: 9
Modernized version: In the reader: the Original, the Modernized text in present-day English, or both side by side. On average, the Modernized text keeps about 91% of the original wording.
Narration: 🎧 Fable · British English

About this book

Boethius wrote The Consolation of Philosophy in prison around AD 524, awaiting execution on a charge of treason. In alternating prose and verse, Lady Philosophy visits his cell and reasons him out of despair, treating fortune, happiness, evil, and God's providence. It became one of the most read and translated books of the Middle Ages, and still rewards slow reading.