New Directions in Boethian Studies

Born into one influential family and adopted into another in the late fifth and early sixth centuries in Rome, Boethius took full advantage of his elevated position and became a leading intellectual of his time, capable of bridging the gap between late antiquity and the very early medieval. His thinking, which retained its Christianity while being informed by the pagan philosophers, is probably best known in his The Consolation of Philosophy, considered essential reading for a liberal arts education. These articles, chosen from the last decade's publications by the International Boethius Society, concentrate on the Consolidation and cover the philosophical background, the work's position as a bridge between classical and Christian concepts of tragedy, Boethius's rhetoric and dialectic, questions of translation, the role of Boethius in art and literary history, and his work in religion and mythography. The collection includes a re-edition of the Boke of Coumfort of Bois. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)