Consolation of Philosophy

"Entirely faithful to Boethius' Latin; Relihan's translation makes the philosophy of the Consolation intelligible to readers; it gives equal weight to the poetry—in fact, Relihan's metrical translation of Boethius' metra are themselves contributions of the first moment to Boethian studies. Boethius finally has a translator equal to his prodigious talents and his manifold vision."
     —Joseph Pucci, Brown University

SKU
26043g

Boethius
Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Joel C. Relihan

2001 - 250 pp.

Grouped product items
Format ISBN Price Qty
Cloth 978-0-87220-584-0
$47.00
Paper 978-0-87220-583-3
$17.00
Instructor Examination (Review) Copy 978-0-87220-583-3
$3.00

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"Entirely faithful to Boethius' Latin; Relihan's translation makes the philosophy of the Consolation intelligible to readers; it gives equal weight to the poetry—in fact, Relihan's metrical translation of Boethius' metra are themselves contributions of the first moment to Boethian studies. Boethius finally has a translator equal to his prodigious talents and his manifold vision."
     —Joseph Pucci, Brown University

 

"This book offers a splendid new translation of the Consolatio Philosophiae that makes the philosophy of the text accessible to both the beginning student and to the Latin scholar. Any student interested in the transition in late antiquity from the pagan to the Christian worlds should own this volume."
     —Victoria Jordan, The Classical Outlook

 

"Relihan's edition of the Consolation offers both student and scholar a felicitous text, expertly translated from the original Latin, richly supplemented throughout with a critical apparatus, and generously embellished with explanatory notes for each prose and metric portion; he offers an Introduction of clear-sighted analysis, and an inclusive, text-referential glossary.
    "Relihan's translation should now be the standard text for classroom use. . . . Relihan has performed a great service in his translation by attempting to translate the 'meters' with the sensibility of a poet as well as a Latinist, and it has made his version of Consolation that much more committed, it seems, to the intent of the original, and definitely a more compelling read. Relihan, as he himself states, has done '. . . what has not been done before in the long history of translation of Consolation into English, . . . [to] reproduce through English accents the rhythms and meters of the original poems' (xxviii). . . . The poetic sections of Consolation are not mere interludes but deliberate transitions in tenor and signification. By offering an English text that echoes the Latin in form, Relihan is offering the student of Consolation an English text that echoes the Latin in meaning as well. It is an offer neither scholar nor student should refuse."
     —June-Ann Greeley, New England Classical Journal

 

"A splendid new translation of this major work. Even if you own other English translations, you will want this one. The translation itself is graceful, yet with a fine sensitivity to subtleties of the original. The wealth of supplementary aids to the reader, found in the apparatus, notes and glossary, will be invaluable both to the beginning student and to the seasoned scholar with the original Latin in hand."
     —Paul Spade, Indiana University

 

"Relihan provides a lucid, provocative Introduction and a brilliant translation of this seminal text. I love his metrical versions of the poems, replicating their original meters. This is certainly a text I'll want to use in the classroom."
     —Barbara Newman, Northwestern University

 

"This is a thoroughly useful volume, concise, scholarly, and suitable both to newcomers to this field of study and those who have had longer to ponder its difficulties. It succeeds in what must be its prime object, to provide access to Boethius' Consolation and introduction to his thought for the Latinless reader. The author provides a translation that aptly conveys the force of intellect that created the original, while bringing considerable authority to the discussion of this engaging but deeply puzzling document. . . . An admirable feature of the translation itself is the apparatus of cross-references, both intra- and inter-textual, catering for those needing help with the allusions as well as those with more experience and their own scholarly interests."
     —Judith Maitland, Ancient History

 

About the Author:

Joel C. Relihan is Professor of Classics, Wheaton College, Norton, Massachusetts.  He is also author of The Prisoner's Philosophy: Life and Death in Boethius' Consolation (The University of Notre Dame Press, 2006).