c. 477–524 AD
Boethius
Roman statesman who wrote The Consolation of Philosophy in prison while awaiting execution. It became one of the most widely read books of the Middle Ages.
Every line we carry
Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.
- Nothing is miserable unless you think it so.
Philosophy tells the imprisoned Boethius that even exile is home to those who live there. The rest of the line says every lot is happy to the one who bears it calmly. Your judgment decides much of what you suffer.
Consolation of Philosophy 2.4, our translation from the Latin
- Why look outside for the happiness inside you?
Philosophy points out that nothing is more precious to you than yourself. If you are master of yourself, you hold something fortune can never take. Stop shopping for what you already own.
Consolation of Philosophy 2.4, our translation from the Latin
- Hard luck helps us more than good luck.
Good fortune flatters and lies, Philosophy says, while bad fortune tells the truth. It also shows you who your real friends are. Let hard times teach you.
Consolation of Philosophy 2.8, our translation from the Latin
- Your fortune is yours to shape.
Philosophy tells the wise to fight both good and bad luck with steady strength. Harsh fortune either trains, corrects or punishes. What you make of it is in your hands.
Consolation of Philosophy 4.7, our translation from the Latin
- Go now, brave ones, where the high road of example leads.
The poem runs through the labors of Hercules, then turns to the reader. Why turn your back like a coward, it asks; conquer the earth and the stars are yours. Follow the people who went first.
Consolation of Philosophy 4, poem 7, our translation from the Latin
- Fortune's wheel turns. Ride it, but don't complain when it drops.
Fortune herself speaks: she spins the wheel, lifting the low and dropping the high. Climb on if you like, she says, but do not call it unfair when you come down. Enjoy the ride up without assuming it lasts.
Consolation of Philosophy 2.2, our translation from the Latin
- I'd have taken you for a philosopher, if you'd kept quiet.
A man who called himself a philosopher bore an insult patiently, then asked if he had proved it. The reply: I would have believed it, had you stayed silent. Real wisdom does not need an audience.
Consolation of Philosophy 2.7, our translation from the Latin
- Happy is the one who can see the bright source of good.
The poem goes on to praise the one who breaks the heavy chains of earth. Boethius wrote in prison, awaiting execution, looking for a good no one could take. Seek what is lasting.
Consolation of Philosophy 3, poem 12, our translation from the Latin