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Book/Printed Material The Consolation of Philosophy. De consolatione philosophiae

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About this Item

Title

  • The Consolation of Philosophy.

Other Title

  • De consolatione philosophiae

Summary

  • De Consolatione Philosophiae (The consolation of philosophy) is a by Boethius, the son of an influential and aristocratic Roman family, written around the year 524. It is regarded as one of the most important works in the Western world. Anicius Manlius Torquatus Severinus Boethius (circa 480-524) was a statesman, philosopher, poet, and consul, as well as adviser to the Ostrogoth king Theodoric, whom he served as magister officiorum (head of court and government administration). After he defended Albinus, a senator, in the presence of King Theodoric during the trial in Verona (Albinus was charged with treasonable correspondence with Emperor Justin at Constantinople), Boethius was also charged with treason, imprisoned (in Pavia), and executed. Boethius wrote De consolatione philosophiae while he was in prison. It is his best known work. It comprises five books and takes the form of a dialogue between the author and his visitor, Philosophy. She is here described as a respectful lady, with sparkling eyes, very perspicacious, having a long dress on which the Greek letters, Pi and Theta (P and T) are written. To Boethius, these letters symbolized the division of Platonic philosophy into practice and theory. The incunabulum is written in black ink with some enlarged capitals in red. It has a parchment paper binding, a manuscript bookplate "Ex libris conventus Fratrum minor. de gandino honnestus frater Math. Geschammller anno dni 1530," a seal bookplate with the initial letters F.F., and a label bookplate "Biblioteca Ion I.C. Brătianu." Brătianu (1864-1927) served many terms as prime minister of Romania between 1909 and his death.

Names

  • Boethius, Anicius Manlius Severinus, circa 480-524 Author.

Created / Published

  • Lyon : Jean Dupré, 1489.

Headings

  • -  Italy
  • -  480 to 524
  • -  Boethius, Anicius Manlius Severinus, circa 480-524
  • -  Dialogues, Latin
  • -  Neoplatonism
  • -  Philosophy, Ancient

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 142 pages ; 26 centimeters.
  • -  Reference extracted from World Digital Library: John Marenbon, "Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius," in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, edited by Edward N. Zalta (Summer 2013 edition). http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2013/entries/boethius. External
  • -  Original resource at: National Library of Romania.
  • -  Content in Latin.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021667034

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

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Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Boethius, Anicius Manlius Severinus, Circa 480-524 Author. The Consolation of Philosophy. Lyon: Jean Dupré, 1489. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667034/.

APA citation style:

Boethius, A. M. S. (1489) The Consolation of Philosophy. Lyon: Jean Dupré. [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667034/.

MLA citation style:

Boethius, Anicius Manlius Severinus, Circa 480-524 Author. The Consolation of Philosophy. Lyon: Jean Dupré, 1489. Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021667034/>.