The Consolation of Philosophy

and which prepare a soul against the harshest attacks of Fortune The personified Roman goddess of luck, often depicted with a wheel to symbolize the unpredictable rise and fall of human fates. There is nothing rare or subtle found among the greatest Authors in which Boethius Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (c. 477–524 AD), the Roman statesman whose work bridged classical philosophy and medieval Christianity does not also claim a share of that glory. His thoughts are sublime, his style polished, his reasoning profound, and his Poetry The Consolation is written in 'prosimetrum,' a style that alternates between prose sections and lyrical poems delicate. If the ear is charmed by the naturalness of his wit, the mind is persuaded by the weight of his arguments; if he sometimes softens his pen, he never weakens it; if he elevates his discourse, he never lets it wander; if he shines throughout, he always provides warmth; provided one pays attention, his work follows a logical flow; whoever brings eyes to the reading will find enlightenment.

For my part, I must confess that if this great Philosopher who worshipped the Cross had dedicated one of his chapters to it, and had represented for us a suffering God among these motives for consolations, then nothing would be lacking in his work, and despair would be reserved only for the Reprobate The 'Réprouvez,' or those excluded from salvation. Regardless of the cruelty with which Fortune persecutes us, we find here the means to cure our ills, or at least to soothe all our pains. If she robs us of our worldly goods, she teaches us to master ourselves; if she taints our pleasures with bitterness, she awakens us from the lethargy of an overly indulgent life; if she strips us of our