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Full Description
In the last fifty years the field of Late Antiquity has advanced significantly. Today we have a picture of this period that is more precise and accurate than before. However, the study of one of the most significant texts of this age, Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy, has not benefited enough from these advances in scholarship. Antonio Donato aims to fill this gap by investigating how the study of the Consolation can profit from the knowledge of Boethius' cultural, political and social background that is available today.
The book focuses on three topics: Boethius' social/political background, his notion of philosophy and its sources, and his understanding of the relation between Christianity and classical culture. These topics deal with issues that are of crucial importance for the exegesis of the Consolation. The study of Boethius' social/political background allows us to gain a better understanding of the identity of the character Boethius and to recognize his role in the Consolation. Examination of the possible sources of Boethius' notion of philosophy and of their influence on the Consolation offers valuable instruments to evaluate the role of the text's philosophical discussions and their relation to its literary features. Finally, the long-standing problem of the lack of overt Christian elements in the Consolation can be enlightened by considering how Boethius relies on a peculiar understanding of philosophy's goal and its relation to Christianity that was common among some of his predecessors and contemporaries.
Contents
Introduction
1 Boethius and the Ideology of the Roman Senatorial Aristocracy
The Ideology of the Roman Senatorial Aristocracy I: Education and
Literary Pursuits
The Ideology of the Roman Senatorial Aristocracy II: Wealth, Nobility,
Political Prominence and Morality
Boethius' Family Heritage: the Anicii and the Symmachi
The Philosopher in Politics
Consolation I.4 and the Ideology of the Roman Senatorial Aristocracy
Philosophy and External Goods
The Possession of Wealth
Power and Dignitas
The Vanity of Glory
Conclusion
2 The Illness and the Healer
Vita Activa and Vita Contemplativa in the Ideal Philosopher
Boethius' Illness: Forgetfulness
Philosophy, a Peculiar Character
The Appearance of Philosophy
Living as a Philosopher
Philosophy, a 'Dialectical' Doctor
Philosophy's Therapy and its Methods
The 'Philosophical' Therapy
Conclusion
3 How does Philosophy Convey her Therapy?
Poetry and Rhetoric as Instruments of Philosophy's Therapy
Poetry and the Consolation
The Poetics of the Consolation
Poetry, Music and Therapy: the Consolation's Sources
The Source of Music's Therapeutic Power: the Consolation's Sources
Music and Therapy in Boethius' De Musica
The Poems of the Consolation
Poetry Quotations in the Consolation
Rhetoric and the Consolation
The Use of Exemplum
The Use of Myths
The Use of Personi- cations
Conclusion
4 Christianity and the Consolation
Christianity and Classical Culture in Boethius' Circles
Christianity and Philosophia
Philosophy and Wisdom in Boethius' Works
Philosophy and Wisdom in the Consolation
Conclusion
Concluding Remarks
Bibliography
Index
