View source for Anicii Manlii Severini Boetii Consolationis Philosophiae Libri Quinque

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Anicii Manlii Severini Boetii Consolationis Philosophiae Libri Quinque''}}
===by Boethius===
__NOTOC__
{{BookPageInfoBox
|imagename=BoethiusAniciiManliiSeverini1751.jpg
|link=https://wm.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01COWM_INST/g9pr7p/alma991021469239703196
|shorttitle=Consolationis Philosophiae 
|author=[[:Category:Boethius|Boethius]]
|edition=First Foulis edition
|lang=[[:Category:Latin|Latin]]
|publoc=[[:Category:Glasgow|Glasguae]]
|publisher=In Aedibus Academicis excudebant Robertus et Andreas Foulis academiae typographi
|year=1751
|pages=157
|desc=[[:Category:Duodecimos|12mo]] (16 cm.)
|shelf=A-4
}}Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, known as Boethius (ca. 480-ca.525), was a Christian Neoplatonist philosopher who served as consul in the kingdom of the Ostrogoths. He later held the office of magister officiorum to the Gothic emperor Theoderic in Italy before his execution for alleged disloyalty.<ref>''Late Antiquity: A Guide to the Postclassical World'', s.v. "[http://www.credoreference.com/entry/hupla/boethius Boethius]," accessed October 02, 2013.</ref> Boethius’ knowledge of Greek, rare for his time, allowed him to translate and comment upon the works of Platonism. He translated the works of the Neoplatonist Porphyry and wrote treatises that heavily influenced medieval scholasticism.<ref>''Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature'', s.v. "[http://www.credoreference.com/entry/gwmedieval/boethius_c_480_525 BOETHIUS (c. 480-525)]," accessed October 02, 2013.</ref> His translations provided all the extant works of Aristotle before their recovery in the twelfth century.<ref>Ibid.</ref><br />
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Boethius wrote ''Consolationis Philosophiae'' (the ''Consolation of Philosophy''), “a favored book of world-weary readers from Alfred the Great to Elizabeth I,” while imprisoned awaiting his death.<ref>''Late Antiquity: A Guide to the Post Classical World''.</ref> Written as a Menippean satire &mdash; a prose narrative mixed with verse &mdash; the work presents Boethius in dialogue with philosophy personified as a woman. He moves from self-pity to consolation while contemplating divine providence throughout life’s “wheel of fortune,” a metaphor Boethius created.<ref>Ibid.</ref> First translated into English in 890 by King Alfred, the ''Consolation'' had great influence on subsequent literature, including medieval moral narrative and Chaucer.<ref>''Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature''.</ref> Specifically, Chaucer translated the ''Consolation'' into Middle English, and drew heavily on Boethius’ concepts of patience and steadfastness in the face of wavering fortune.<ref>''All Things Chaucer: An Encyclopedia of Chaucer's World'', s.v. "[http://www.credoreference.com/entry/abcchaucer/boethius Boethius]," accessed October 02, 2013.</ref>

==Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library==
Listed in the [[Jefferson Inventory]] of [[Wythe's Library]] as "Boethius de Consolationes. 12mo. Foulis." This was one of the titles kept by [[Thomas Jefferson]]. He most likely sold it to the Library of Congress in 1815. In ''Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson'', Millicent Sowerby identifies an existing copy of the 1752 edition published by Foulis as the one Jefferson sold, but it includes no Jefferson or Wythe markings.<ref>E. Millicent Sowerby, ''Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson'' (Washington, D.C.: The Library of Congress, 1952-1959), 2:39 [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015033648109;view=1up;seq=51 [no.1326]].</ref> Nevertheless, both [http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe George Wythe's Library]<ref>''LibraryThing'', s. v. [http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe "Member: George Wythe"], accessed November 11, 2013.</ref> on LibraryThing and the [https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433 Brown Bibliography]<ref> Bennie Brown, "The Library of George Wythe of Williamsburg and Richmond," (unpublished manuscript, May, 2012) Microsoft Word file. Earlier edition available at: https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433</ref> list this volume based on Sowerby's information. This was also the edition purchased by the Wolf Law Library.

==Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy==
Bound in contemporary full vellum.

Images of the library's copy of this book are [https://www.flickr.com/photos/wolflawlibrary/albums/72157637875807896 available on Flickr.] View the record for this book in [https://wm.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01COWM_INST/g9pr7p/alma991021469239703196 William & Mary's online catalog.]

==See also==
*[[George Wythe Room]]
*[[Jefferson Inventory]]
*[[Wythe's Library]]

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
Read this book in [http://books.google.com/books?id=LtkPAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover Google Books].

[[Category:Boethius]]
[[Category:George Wythe Collection at William & Mary's Wolf Law Library]]
[[Category:Jefferson's Books]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Probable Surviving Wythe Volumes]]
[[Category:Titles in Wythe's Library]]

[[Category:Duodecimos]]
[[Category:Glasgow]]
[[Category:Latin]]