TheConsolationofPhilosophy
By
AniciusManliusSeverinusBoethius
TranslatedfromtheLatin
ByW.V.Cooper
PublishedbytheEx-classicsProject,2009
http://www.exclassics.com
PublicDomain
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BOETHIUS
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THECONSOLATIONOFPHILOSOPHY
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BOETHIUS
CONTENTS
EDITORIALNOTE.......................................................................................................5CHRONOLOGICALTABLE.......................................................................................6BOOKI..........................................................................................................................8BOOKII.......................................................................................................................17BOOKIII.....................................................................................................................28BOOKIV.....................................................................................................................46BOOKV......................................................................................................................61Publisher'sNote...........................................................................................................72APPENDIX(SeeBookII,ProseIII)...........................................................................73NOTES.........................................................................................................................74
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THECONSOLATIONOFPHILOSOPHY
EDITORIALNOTE
THEincompatibilityofthesufferingsofgoodmen,theimpunityandsuccessofbadmen,withthegovernmentoftheworldbyagoodGod,hasbeenasubjectofthoughtamongmeneversincereligionandabstractquestionshaveoccupiedthethoughtsofmankind.ThepoeticalbooksoftheBiblearefullofit,particularly,ofcoursethebookofJob,whichisadramaticpoementirelydevotedtothesubject.TheNewTestamentcontainsmuchteachingonthesamequestion.AmongtheGreeksthetragediansandlaterphilosophersdelightedinworkingoutitsproblems.ButfromthesixthtotheseventeenthcenturiesofoureratheDeConsolationeofBoethius,initsoriginalLatinandinmanytranslations,wasinthehandsofalmostalltheeducatedpeopleoftheworld.Theauthor'spersonalhistorywaswellknown.HewasamanwhosefortuneshadrisentothehighestpitchpossibleundertheRomanEmpire;whohadhimselfexperiencedtheuttercollapseofthosefortunes,andwasknowntohavesustainedhimselfthroughimprisonmentandeventotortureandanunjustdeathbythethoughtswhichhelefttomankindinthisbook.
ItisaworkwhichappealedtoPaganandChristianalike.ThereisnoChristiandoctrinerelieduponthroughoutthework,butthereisalsonothingwhichcouldbeinconflictwithChristianity.EventhepersonificationofPhilosophy,thoughaftertheformofapagangoddess,ispreciselylikethe'Wisdom'ofSolomonintheApocrypha;andthesamehabitofthoughtledtheJewstopersonifythe'Word'ofGod,anduseitasidenticalwithGodHimself;andthesameledtothatidentifyingofthe'Word'withChrist,whichwefindinthefirstchapterofSt.John'sGospel.So,ifthereisnothingdistinctlyordogmaticallyChristianinthework,thereisalsonothingwhichcanbecondemnedaspagan,inspiteofthestronginfluenceofpaganphilosophy,withwhichBoethiuswasintimate.
ForthoughsomehaveheldthattheChristianityofBoethiuswasfoisteduponhim,withhiscanonisationasSt.Severinus,afterhisdeathbythosewhothoughthemusthavebeentoogoodamantohavebeenaheathen,andthoughtheauthenticityofhistheologicalworksalsohasthereforebeendoubted,yetwemaynowbealmostcertainthathewasaChristian,andanorthodoxChristian,forifitistruethathewrotethoseworks,hecombatedArianismduringhislife,andduringhisimprisonmenthewasengageduponatreatiseontheUnityoftheTrinity,aswellasuponthiswork.Hereperhapsliesanexplanationofwhatmustseemstrangetousatfirstsight,namely,thataChristianshouldapparentlylooktoPhilosophyratherthantohis
religionforcomfortinpersecutionandsupportattheapproachofdeath.Butitistobefearedthatinhisday,andinthesocietyinwhichhemoved,Christianitymeanttomanywhoprofesseditlittlemorethanasubjectforrivalryandargumentamongsectsandforthecombatingofheresies.WithmanyofthecontemporariesofBoethius,therefore,anewbookofcomfortsoughtforinChristiandoctrinewouldnothavehadmuchinfluence,andthereseemstobenoreasonwhypeopleofourownday,eventhosewhodrawthegreatesthelpfromtheirreligion,shouldnotenjoytheadditionalcomfortwhichsolacedanhonestandpiousthinkerinatimeofapparentlyintolerableandincrediblemisfortune.
ThewidelearningofBoethiusmaybepartlyshewnbyalistofsomeofhiswritings,whichincludedoriginalworksandtranslationsinmanybranchesofstudy.Forinstance,hetranslatedintoLatinagreatnumberofAristotle'sworksondifferentsubjects,suchasthoseonRhetoric,Logic,theCategories,etc.HetranslatedthreebooksofEuclid,andwroteothermathematicalworks.Hetranslatedandwrotebooks
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