On the Consolation of Philosophy

Boethius

• Publisher: Passerino
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN:
  9791224497455
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Ethics & Moral Philosophy

Written in the shadow of imprisonment and impending death, On the Consolation of Philosophy is one of the most profound and enduring works of late antiquity.
In this remarkable dialogue, Boethius, once a powerful statesman and scholar, finds himself fallen from fortune and condemned by the world. In his despair, he is visited by Lady Philosophy, who leads him through a searching meditation on suffering, fate, happiness, virtue, and the nature of true freedom.
Blending poetry and prose, classical wisdom and Christian sensibility, Boethius offers a timeless reflection on the instability of earthly success and the deeper order that may be found beyond it. His questions are urgent and human: Why do the innocent suffer? Can fortune ever bring lasting happiness? What remains when power, wealth, and reputation are taken away? For centuries, On the Consolation of Philosophy inspired thinkers, poets, theologians, and readers across Europe. Still today, it speaks with extraordinary clarity to anyone facing uncertainty, loss, or the search for meaning.
A masterpiece of philosophical literature, this book remains a powerful companion for the mind and the soul.

Boethius, born Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius around 480 AD, was a Roman statesman, philosopher, and scholar. A member of a distinguished aristocratic family, he served at the court of the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great and became one of the most learned men of his age. Boethius devoted much of his life to preserving and transmitting the wisdom of ancient Greek philosophy, especially the works of Plato and Aristotle, to the Latin-speaking world. Accused of treason and imprisoned, he wrote his most famous work, On the Consolation of Philosophy, while awaiting execution. His writings had a profound influence on medieval thought, and he is remembered as one of the essential bridges between classical antiquity and the intellectual culture of the Middle Ages.

Table of contents

• Cover
• On the Consolation of Philosophy
• Table of contents
• Preface
• Proem
• Book I. The Sorrows Of Boethius
• I. Boethius’ Complaint
• II. His Despondency
• III. The Mists Dispelled
• IV. Nothing Can Subdue Virtue
• V. Boethius’ Prayer
• VI. All Things Have Their Needful Order
• VII. The Perturbations Of Passion
• Book II. The Vanity Of Fortune’s Gifts
• I. Fortune’s Malice
• II. Man’s Covetousness
• III. All Passes
• IV. The Golden Mean
• V. The Former Age
• VI. Neros' Infamy
• VII. Glory May Not Last
• VIII. Love Is Lord Of All
• Book III. True Happiness And False
• I. The Thorns Of Error
• II. The Bent Of Nature
• III. The Insatiableness Of Avarice
• IV. Disgrace Of Honours Conferred By A Tyrant
• V. Self-Mastery
• VI. True Nobility
• VII. Pleasure’s Sting
• VIII. Human Folly
• IX. Invocation
• X. The True Light
• XI. Reminiscence
• XII. Orpheus And Eurydice
• Book IV. Good And Ill Fortune
• I. The Soul’s Flight
• II. The Bondage Of Passion
• III. Circe’s Cup
• IV. The Unreasonableness Of Hatred
• V. Wonder And Ignorance
• VI. The Universal Aim
• VII. The Hero’s Path
• Book V. Free Will And God’s Foreknowledge
• I. Chance
• II. The True Sun
• III. Truth’s Paradoxes
• IV. A Psychological Fallacy
• V. The Upward Look
• VI
• Epilogue