The Consolation of Philosophy

By Boethius

Categories: Literature & Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Boethius, a Roman senator and scholar, wrote this dialogue around 524 while imprisoned and awaiting execution on charges of treason under the Ostrogothic king Theodoric. In alternating prose and verse, the grieving prisoner is visited by Lady Philosophy, who helps him understand the fickle turns of Fortune's wheel. She leads him to see that true happiness lies not in wealth, honor or power but in the highest good. Medieval readers prized the work, and it circulated widely across Europe for centuries.

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• Ryan Holiday: “I found it very moving and a great example of what philosophy is supposed to do–which is to help us in our darkest moments.”