Boethius

The Consolation of Philosophy of Boethius (Dodo Press)

Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (c. 480-524 or 525) was a Christian philosopher of the 6th century. He was born in Rome to an ancient and important family which included emperors Petronius Maximus and Olybrius and many consuls. He was executed by King Theodoric the Great, who suspected him of conspiring with the Byzantine Empire. Boethius's most popular work is The Consolation of Philosophy, which he wrote in prison while awaiting his execution, but his lifelong project was a deliberate attempt to preserve ancient classical knowledge, particularly philosophy. He intended to translate all the works of Aristotle and Plato from the original Greek into Latin. He also wrote a commentary on the Isagoge by Porphyry, which highlighted the existence of the problem of universals. Besides these advanced philosophical works, he is also reported to have translated important Greek texts for the topics of the quadrivium. He also wrote theological treatises, which generally involve support for the orthodox position against Arian ideas and other contemporary religious debates.