In AD 523, when Boethius was imprisoned for a year as he awaited trial and, eventually, execution for the alleged crime of treason committed under the rule of the Ostrogothic King Theodoric the Great, he wrote On the Consolation of Philosophy.The author appeals to the Muses for assistance in writing poetry that adequately expresses his despair.The "wicked and unprincipled men" who rule Rome sentence, Boethius, to death. Boethius is promised by the philosophy that she would end his suffering, and she informs him that the "medicine" he requires is truth. They talk about Fortune, who they personify as a cruel goddess who arbitrarily moves individuals ahead or lower.The conversation in the book is between the author and a woman who symbolizes philosophy, according to Boethius. She contends that morality is all one possesses because it is unaffected by the ups and downs of life.Boethius talks about the nature of free will and predestination, the issue of evil, human nature, virtue, and justice. He queries if God has free will or if He sees and knows everything. According to Boethius, offenders should be handled with compassion and respect rather than mistreated.
Boethius,Translated by H.R.James,M.A.,CH. CH. Oxford
Roman senator, consul, magister officiorum, historian, and philosopher Boethius lived from 480 to 524 AD. He played a key role in the translation of the Greek classics, which served as the forerunner of the Scholastic movement. Early in his career, he devoted himself to translating Plato's and Aristotle's works, producing some of the few transcriptions of Greek texts to survive until the Middle Ages. According to some academics, Boethius studied at Athens or Alexandria, suggesting that his education may have taken place in the East. By the age of 25, Boethius was a senator, and by the year 510, he was a consul. Boethius rose quickly through the ranks of the Roman government under Theodoric the Great. His selection of his sons to serve as consuls for the entire Roman Empire was his greatest accomplishment. He describes having to stop the Roman Court's rife corruption in The Consolation. Boethius was attempting to improve ties between the Constantinopolitan See and the Roman See in 520. He was put to death in 524 after serving time in jail in Pavia for what was considered a treasonous offence. Boethius' remains were buried at Pavia's San Pietro church.
