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Boethius (Boetius)--Anicius Manlius Severinus--Roman statesman and
philosopher (ca. 480-524 CE), was son of Flavius Manlius Boetius,
after whose death he was looked after by several men, especially
Memmius Symmachus. He married Symmachus's daughter, Rusticiana, by
whom he had two sons. All three men rose to high honours under
Theodoric the Ostrogoth, but Boethius fell from favour, was tried
for treason, wrongly condemned, and imprisoned at Ticinum (Pavia),
where he wrote his renowned "The Consolation of Philosophy," He was
put to death in 524, to the great remorse of Theodoric. Boethius
was revered as if he were a saint and his bones were removed in 996
to the Church of S. Pietro in Ciel d'Oro, and later to the
Cathedral. The tower in Pavia where he was imprisoned is still
venerated.
Boethius was author of Latin translations of Aristotle,
commentaries on various philosophical works, original works on
logic, five books on music, and other works. His "The Consolation
of Philosophy" is the last example of purely literary Latin of
ancient times--a mingling of alternate dialogue and poems. His
"Theological Tractates" are also included in this volume.
Cicero and Boethius did more than anyone else to transmit the
insights of Greek philosophy to the Latin culture of Western Europe
which has played so influential a part in our civilisation to this
day. Cicero's treatise On Fate (De Fato), though surviving only in
a fragmentary and mutilated state, records contributions to the
discussion of a central philosophical issue, that of free will and
determinism, which are comparable in importance to those of
twentieth-century philosophers and indeed sometimes anticipate
them. Study of the treatise has been hindered by the lack of a
combined Latin text and English translation based on a clear
understanding of the arguments; R. W. Sharples' text is intended to
meet this need. The last book of Boethius' Consolation of
Philosophy (Philosophiae Consolationis) is linked with Cicero's
treatise by its theme, the relation of divine foreknowledge to
human freedom. Latin text with facing-page English translation,
introduction and commentary.
Boethius composed the De Consolatione Philosophiae in the sixth
century AD whilst awaiting death under torture, condemned on a
charge of treason which he protested was manifestly unjust. Though
a convinced Christian, in detailing the true end of life which is
the soul's knowledge of God, he consoled himself not with Christian
precepts but with the tenets of Greek philosophy. This work
dominated the intellectual world of the Middle Ages; writers as
diverse as Thomas Aquinas, Jean de Meun, and Dante were inspired by
it. In England it was rendered in to Old English by Alfred the
Great, into Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer, and later Queen
Elizabeth I made her own translation. The circumstances of
composition, the heroic demeanour of the author, and the
'Menippean' texture of part prose, part verse have combined to
exercise a fascination over students of philosophy and literature
ever since. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's
Classics has made available the widest range of literature from
around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's
commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a
wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions
by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text,
up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Written in the sixth century, The Consolation of Philosophy was one
of the most popular and influential works of the Middle Ages.
Boethius composed the masterpiece while imprisoned and awaiting the
death sentence for treason. The Christian author had served as a
high-ranking government official before falling out of favor with
Roman Emperor Theodoric, an Arian. In the Consolation, Boethius
explores the true end of life-knowledge of God-through a
conversation with Lady Philosophy. Part prose, part poetry, the
work combines Greek philosophy and Christian faith to formulate
answers to some of life's most difficult and enduring questions.
Landmark of Western thought written by a sixth-century Roman statesman and philosopher awaiting execution. Comprising a dialogue in alternating prose and verse between Boethius and his spiritual guardian, the book concerns happiness: how to achieve and maintain it amid life's inevitable pain. A cornerstone of medieval humanism, the work remains a source of comfort and consolation for contemporary readers. Translated with an introduction and notes by Richard Green.
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
The Consolation of Philosophy occupies a central place in the
history of Western thought. Its author, Anicius Manlius Severinus
Boethius (ca. 476-526 c.e.), was a Roman philosopher, scholar, and
statesman who wrote The Consolation of Philosophy while in a remote
prison awaiting his execution on dubious political charges. The
text of this Norton Critical Edition is based on the translation by
Richard H. Green. It is accompanied by the editor's preface and
full-scale introduction to the work, the translator's preface, and
explanatory annotations. "Contexts" reprints selections from the
texts that Boethius drew upon for his own work. These include
excerpts from two of Plato's Dialogues (Gorgias and Timaeus), from
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, and from Augustine's On Free Choice
of the Will. "Criticism" collects five wide-ranging essays by major
scholars of Boethius. Henry Chadwick presents a general
introduction to Boethius's life and works. Nelson Pike presents a
clear and insightful interpretation of what Boethius means by
writing that God is eternal (timeless). The final three essays-by
William Bark, Edmund Reiss, and John Marenbon-all depart from
traditional readings of The Consolation of Philosophy in
significant ways and are sure to stimulate classroom discussion. A
Chronology of Boethius's life and work and a Selected Bibliography
are also included.
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
‘Why else does slippery Fortune change So much, and punishment more fit For crime oppress the innocent?’ Written in prison before his brutal execution in AD 524, Boethius’s The Consolation of Philosophy is a conversation between the ailing prisoner and his ‘nurse’ Philosophy, whose instruction restores him to health and brings him to enlightenment. Boethius was an eminent public figure who had risen to great political heights in the court of King Theodoric when he was implicated in conspiracy and condemned to death. Although a Christian, it was to the pagan Greek philosophers that he turned for inspiration following his abrupt fall from grace. With great clarity of thought and philosophical brilliance, Boethius adopted the classical model of the dialogue to debate the vagaries of Fortune, and to explore the nature of happiness, good and evil, fate and free will. Victor Watts’s English translation makes The Consolation of Philosophy accessible to the modern reader while losing nothing of its poetic artistry and breadth of vision. This edition includes an introduction discussing Boethius’s life and writings, a bibliography, glossary and notes.
In this highly praised new translation of Boethius s "The
Consolation of Philosophy," David R. Slavitt presents a graceful,
accessible, and modern version for both longtime admirers of one of
the great masterpieces of philosophical literature and those
encountering it for the first time. Slavitt preserves the
distinction between the alternating verse and prose sections in the
Latin original, allowing us to appreciate the Menippian parallels
between the discourses of literary and logical inquiry. His prose
translations are lively and colloquial, conveying the
argumentative, occasionally bantering tone of the original, while
his verse translations restore the beauty and power of Boethius s
poetry. The result is a major contribution to the art of
translation.
Those less familiar with "Consolation" may remember it was
written under a death sentence. Boethius (c. 480 524), an Imperial
official under Theodoric, Ostrogoth ruler of Rome, found himself,
in a time of political paranoia, denounced, arrested, and then
executed two years later without a trial. Composed while its author
was imprisoned, cut off from family and friends, it remains one of
Western literature s most eloquent meditations on the transitory
nature of earthly belongings, and the superiority of things of the
mind. In an artful combination of verse and prose, Slavitt 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.
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