BOETHIUS (Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius)
LIFE
| c480 | Born in Rome, son of a Roman high-government official. In his youth, he went to study at Athens, the center of Greek culture and philosophy. Came in contact with various types of Greek philosophy, including Aristotelianism, Neoplatonism, and Stoicism. He learned Greek, which enabled him later to translate Greek philosophical works into Latin. |
| 510 | On returning to Italy, became a consul at the court of Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths. During his service in government, Boethius wrote commentaries on Porphyry and Cicero, and began his work on Plato and Aristotle |
| ??? | During this period, Boethius is also involved in writing philosophy and theology. He writes five theological Tractates, on the Trinity, the Goodness of God, the Christian Faith, and the two natures of Christ. He also undertakes to translate all the works of Plato and Aristotle into Latin, and then write two commentaries on each, as well as a final piece which would reconcile the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle. He never even got half way done, but he did translate Porphyry’s Isagoge, and all Aristotle’s Organon, and write commentaries on the Isagoge, Categories, De Interpretatione as well as the Topica of Cicero. He also wrote a textbook on Music. |
| 522 | Boethius’ sons are named consuls, and Boethius named "master of the offices," an important title. |
| 524/525 | Accused of treason by Theodoric, he was imprisoned and put to death in Pavia, in Northern Italy. Wrote the Consolation of Philosophy during his imprisonment. There are over 400 extant manuscripts of this work, which shows its great popularity in the Middle Ages. Boethius is honored as a martyr, and his cult as a Beatus was confirmed by the Church in 1883. |