De Consolatione Philosophiae

Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (c. 480 - 525)

Consolation of Philosophy (Latin: Consolatio Philosophiae) is a philosophical work by Boethius written in about the year 524 AD. It has been described as the single most important and influential work in the West in medieval and early Renaissance Christianity, and is also the last great work that can be called Classical.

Consolation of Philosophy was written during Boethius' one year imprisonment while awaiting trial, and eventual horrific execution, for the crime of treason by Ostrogothic King Theodoric the Great. Boethius was at the very heights of power in Rome and was brought down by treachery. It was from this experience he was inspired to write a philosophical book from prison reflecting on how a lord's favor could change so quickly and why friends would turn against him. It has been described as “by far the most interesting example of prison literature the world has ever seen.”

The Consolation of Philosophy stands, by its note of fatalism and its affinities with the Christian doctrine of humility, midway between the heathen philosophy of Seneca the Younger and the later Christian philosophy of consolation represented by Thomas Aquinas.

The book is heavily influenced by Plato and his dialogues (as was Boethius himself). - Summary by Wikipedia

Genre(s): Philosophy

Language: Latin

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 Liber I: a principio usque ad prosam III inclusive bedwere
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Play 02 Liber I: a metro IV usque ad finem bedwere
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Play 03 Liber II: a principio usque ad metrum IV inclusive bedwere
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Play 04 Liber II: a prosa V usque ad finem bedwere
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Play 05 Liber III: a principio usque ad metrum V inclusive bedwere
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Play 06 Liber III: a prosa VI usque ad metrum IX inclusive bedwere
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Play 07 Liber III: a prosa X usque ad finem bedwere
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Play 08 Liber IV: a principio usque ad metrum IV inclusive bedwere
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Play 09 Liber IV: a prosa V usque ad finem bedwere
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Play 10 Liber V: a principio usque ad metrum III inclusive bedwere
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Play 11 Liber V: a prosa IV usque ad finem bedwere
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