Poetry Codex

Ancient Greek & Roman

Boethius

c. AD 480–524

Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius was a Roman statesman and philosopher, born in Rome about AD 480 into a patrician family. He rose to be consul in 510 and later served as master of offices under the Ostrogothic king Theodoric, and he set himself to translate and comment on the works of Aristotle and Plato into Latin.

Accused of treason, he was imprisoned at Pavia and executed about 524. While in prison he wrote The Consolation of Philosophy, a dialogue with Lady Philosophy in alternating prose and verse. The thirty-nine verse songs are given here in the English version of H. R. James (1897), and the prose between them is left out.

Poems (95)

  1. Book I, Song I: Boethius' Complaint
  2. Book I, Song II: His Despondency
  3. Book I, Song III: The Mists Dispelled
  4. Book I, Song IV: Nothing Can Subdue Virtue
  5. Book I, Song V: Boethius' Prayer
  6. Book I, Song VI: All Things Have Their Needful Order
  7. Book I, Song VII: The Perturbations of Passion
  8. Book II, Song I: Fortune's Malice
  9. Book II, Song II: Man's Covetousness
  10. Book II, Song III: All Passes
  11. Book II, Song IV: The Golden Mean
  12. Book II, Song V: The Former Age
  13. Book II, Song VI: Nero's Infamy
  14. Book II, Song VII: Glory May Not Last
  15. Book II, Song VIII: Love Is Lord of All
  16. Book III, Song I: The Thorns of Error
  17. Book III, Song II: The Bent of Nature
  18. Book III, Song III: The Insatiableness of Avarice
  19. Book III, Song IV: Disgrace of Honours Conferred by a Tyrant
  20. Book III, Song V: Self-Mastery
  21. Book III, Song VI: True Nobility
  22. Book III, Song VII: Pleasure's Sting
  23. Book III, Song VIII: Human Folly
  24. Book III, Song IX: Invocation
  25. Book III, Song X: The True Light
  26. Book III, Song XI: Reminiscence
  27. Book III, Song XII: Orpheus and Eurydice
  28. Book IV, Song I: The Soul's Flight
  29. Book IV, Song II: The Bondage of Passion
  30. Book IV, Song III: Circe's Cup
  31. Book IV, Song IV: The Unreasonableness of Hatred
  32. Book IV, Song V: Wonder and Ignorance
  33. Book IV, Song VI: The Universal Aim
  34. Book IV, Song VII: The Hero's Path
  35. Book V, Song I: Chance
  36. Book V, Song II: The True Sun
  37. Book V, Song III: Truth's Paradoxes
  38. Book V, Song IV: A Psychological Fallacy
  39. Book V, Song V: The Upward Look
  40. Book I, Metrum I (Vaughan)
  41. Book I, Metrum II (Vaughan)
  42. Book I, Metrum IV (Vaughan)
  43. Book I, Metrum V (Vaughan)
  44. Book I, Metrum VI (Vaughan)
  45. Book I, Metrum VII (Vaughan)
  46. Book II, Metrum I (Vaughan)
  47. Book II, Metrum II (Vaughan)
  48. Book II, Metrum III (Vaughan)
  49. Book II, Metrum IV (Vaughan)
  50. Book II, Metrum V (Vaughan)
  51. Book II, Metrum VII (Vaughan)
  52. Book II, Metrum VIII (Vaughan)
  53. Book III, Metrum XII (Vaughan)
  54. Book III, Metrum II (Vaughan)
  55. Book IV, Metrum VI (Vaughan)
  56. Book IV, Metrum III (Vaughan)
  57. Book III, Metrum VI (Vaughan)
  58. Book I, Metre I (I. T.): Boethius' Complaint
  59. Book I, Metre II (I. T.): His Despondency
  60. Book I, Metre III (I. T.): The Mists Dispelled
  61. Book I, Metre IV (I. T.): Nothing Can Subdue Virtue
  62. Book I, Metre V (I. T.): Boethius' Prayer
  63. Book I, Metre VI (I. T.): All Things Have Their Needful Order
  64. Book I, Metre VII (I. T.): The Perturbations of Passion
  65. Book II, Metre I (I. T.): Fortune's Malice
  66. Book II, Metre II (I. T.): Man's Covetousness
  67. Book II, Metre III (I. T.): All Passes
  68. Book II, Metre IV (I. T.): The Golden Mean
  69. Book II, Metre V (I. T.): The Former Age
  70. Book II, Metre VI (I. T.): Nero's Infamy
  71. Book II, Metre VII (I. T.): Glory May Not Last
  72. Book II, Metre VIII (I. T.): Love Is Lord of All
  73. Book III, Metre I (I. T.): The Thorns of Error
  74. Book III, Metre II (I. T.): The Bent of Nature
  75. Book III, Metre III (I. T.): The Insatiableness of Avarice
  76. Book III, Metre IV (I. T.): Disgrace of Honours Conferred by a Tyrant
  77. Book III, Metre V (I. T.): Self-Mastery
  78. Book III, Metre VI (I. T.): True Nobility
  79. Book III, Metre VII (I. T.): Pleasure's Sting
  80. Book III, Metre IX (I. T.): Invocation
  81. Book III, Metre X (I. T.): The True Light
  82. Book III, Metre XI (I. T.): Reminiscence
  83. Book III, Metre XII (I. T.): Orpheus and Eurydice
  84. Book IV, Metre I (I. T.): The Soul's Flight
  85. Book IV, Metre II (I. T.): The Bondage of Passion
  86. Book IV, Metre III (I. T.): Circe's Cup
  87. Book IV, Metre IV (I. T.): The Unreasonableness of Hatred
  88. Book IV, Metre V (I. T.): Wonder and Ignorance
  89. Book IV, Metre VI (I. T.): The Universal Aim
  90. Book IV, Metre VII (I. T.): The Hero's Path
  91. Book V, Metre I (I. T.): Chance
  92. Book V, Metre II (I. T.): The True Sun
  93. Book V, Metre III (I. T.): Truth's Paradoxes
  94. Book V, Metre IV (I. T.): A Psychological Fallacy
  95. Book V, Metre V (I. T.): The Upward Look

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