Track	Title	Reader	Length
1	01 - Preface and Proem	Kirsten Ferreri	0:07
2	02 - Book I, Song I: Boethius' Complaint, and section I	Alex Patterson	0:04
3	03 - Book I, Song II: His Depondency, and section II	Alex Patterson	0:02
4	04 - Book I, Song III: The Mists Dispelled, and section III	Ben Douglas	0:04
5	05 - Book I, Song IV: Nothing Can Subdue Virtue, and section IV	David Barnes	0:16
6	06 - Book I, Song V: Boethius' Prayer, and Section V	Carl Manchester	0:06
7	07 - Book I, Song VI: All Things Have Their Needful Order, and Section VI	Carl Manchester	0:05
8	08 - Book I, Song VII: The Perturbations of Passion	Hugh McGuire	0:01
9	09 - Book II, Section I, and Song I: Fortune's Malice	Hugh McGuire	0:06
10	10 - Book II, Section II, and Song II: Man's Covetousness	Hugh McGuire	0:05
11	11 - Book II, Section III, and Song III: All Passes	Cori Samuel	0:05
12	12 - Book II, Section IV, and Song IV: The Golden Mean	Kirsten Ferreri	0:08
13	13 - Book II: Section V, and Song V: The Former Age	David Barnes	0:11
14	14 - Book II, Section VI, and Song VI: Nero's Infamy	Mark Owen	0:06
15	15 - Book II Section VII, and Song VII: Glory May Not Last	Kirsten Ferreri	0:07
16	16 - Book II Section VIII, and Song VIII: Love Is Lord of All	Kirsten Ferreri	0:03
17	17 - Book III, Section I, and Song I: The Thorns of Error	hugh mac	0:02
18	18 - Book III, Section II, and Song II: The Bent of Nature	Gesine	0:09
19	19 - Book III, Section III, and Song III: The Insatiableness of Avarice	hugh mac	0:05
20	20 - Book III, Section IV, and Song IV: Disgrace of Honours Conferred by a Tyrant	hugh mac	0:04
21	21 - Book III, Section V, and Song V: Self-Mastery	hugh mac	0:03
22	22 - Book III, Section VI, and Song VI: True Nobility	hugh mac	0:03
23	23 - Book III, Song VII: Pleasure's Sting, and section VII	Maddie	0:02
24	24 - Book III, Song VIII: Human Folly, and section VIII	Maddie	0:04
25	25 - Book III, section IX, Song IX: Invocation	Cyril Law, Jr.	0:11
26	26 - Book III: Section X, and Song X: The True Light	Cyril Law, Jr.	0:13
27	27 - Book III, Section XI, and Song XI: Reminiscense	Ben Douglas	0:09
28	28 - Book III, Section XII, and Song XII: Orpheus and Eurydice	D.E. Wittkower	0:12
29	29 - Book IV, Section I, and Song I: The Soul's Flight	Cori Samuel	0:05
30	30 - Book IV, Section II, and Song II: The Bondage of Passion	hugh mac	0:10
31	31 - Book IV, Section III, and Song III: Circe's Cup	Susie G.	0:08
32	32 - Book IV, Section IV, and Song IV: The Unreasonableness of Hatred	Cori Samuel	0:13
33	33 - Book IV, Section V, and Song V: Wonder and Ignorance	David Barnes	0:03
34	34 - Book IV, Section VI, and Song VI: The Universal Aim	David Barnes	0:20
35	35 - Book IV, Section VII, and Song VII: The Hero's Path	Ben Douglas	0:05
36	36 - Book V, Section I, and Song I: Chance	Andrew Miller	0:07
37	37 - Book V, Section II, and Song II: The True Sun	hugh mac	0:03
38	38 - Book V, Section III, and Song III: Truth's Paradoxes	Stan Still	0:10
39	39 - Book V, Section IV, and Song IV: A Psychological Fallacy	ML Cohen	0:10
40	40 - Book V: Section V, and Song V: The Upward Look	Mark Owen	0:06
41	41 - Book V, Section VI and Epilogue	Cori Samuel	0:15

Production

Running time: 5 hours and 8 minutes
Read by: Multiple readers
Book Coordinator: Gesine
Meta Coordinator: Gesine

Artwork

Cover illustration: “Philosophy Consoling Boethius and Fortune Turning the Wheel”, by Coëtivy Master, c. 1450. Google Art Project

Back cover inset top: Illustration of Anicius Manlius Severinus Boëthius, early 1100s, artist unknown. Cambridge University Library.

Back cover inset middle: Anicius Manlius Severinus Boëthius. Author unknown. From http://www.gutenberg.org.

Background image DVD insert: Medieval illustration of Anicius Manlius Severinus Boëthius, early 1100’s, artist unknown. Cambridge University Library.

Background image CD insert: Boëthius teaching his students, from1385 Italian manuscript of the Consolation of Philosophy.

The Consolation of Philosophy by Boëthius is a philosophical work written around 524 AD while Boethius was imprisoned and awaiting execution. Blending prose and poetry, the text is a dialogue between Boethius and Lady Philosophy, who personifies wisdom and reason. It explores themes of fortune, happiness, fate, and divine providence.

The book begins with Boethius lamenting his fall from power and wealth, betrayed by those he once trusted. Lady Philosophy appears to console him, critiquing his misplaced reliance on external goods and the whims of fortune. She explains that material possessions, status, and even earthly happiness are transient and unreliable.

Philosophy guides Boethius toward a deeper understanding of true happiness, which resides in the pursuit of virtue and unity with the divine. She emphasizes that human suffering is part of a greater cosmic order governed by divine providence. While fortune is unpredictable, the rational soul can achieve peace by aligning itself with eternal truths and trusting in the justice of God’s plan.

The text also addresses the tension between free will and predestination. Lady Philosophy assures Boethius that while God’s foreknowledge encompasses all events, humans retain free will within the divine framework.

Ultimately, The Consolation of Philosophy is a meditation on enduring adversity by focusing on inner virtue and philosophical wisdom, offering solace to those grappling with life's uncertainties. Its blend of classical thought and Christian theology has made it a timeless work in Western philosophy and literature.

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Item Info
EAN - DVD case	0602581788621
EAN - CD jacket	0602581788638
Media	MP3 CD
Package	DVD box
Author	Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (c. 480 - 525)
Translator	Translated by H. R. James (1862 - 1931)
Year	524 AD
Recording
Read by	Multiple readers
Length	5 hours 8 minutes
Type of Reading	Collaborative