The Theological Tractates and The Consolation of PhilosophyBoethius
Religion
The Theological Tractates and The Consolation of Philosophy
Boethius
Happiness; Philosophy and religion; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- Early Church, ca. 30-600
That company being thus checked, overcome with grief, casting their eyes
upon the ground, and betraying their bashfulness with blushing, went
sadly away. But I, whose sight was dimmed with tears, so that I could
not discern what this woman might be, so imperious, and of such
authority, was astonished, and, fixing my countenance upon the earth,
began to expect with silence what she would do afterward. Then she
coming nigher, sat down at my bed's feet, and beholding my countenance
sad with mourning, and cast upon the ground with grief, complained of
the perturbation of my mind with these verses.
[80] Cf. "est enim philosophia genus, species uero eius duae, una quae
[Greek: theoraetikae] dicitur, altera quae [Greek: praktikae], id est
speculatiua et actiua." Boeth. _In Porph. Dial._ i.
[81] This scorn of the _profanum vulgus_ appears again and again in the
theological tractates, e.g. _Tr._ iii. (_supra_, p. 4), _Tr._ v.
(_supra_, p. 74).
[82] Zeno of Elea invented Dialectic: Plato was the first to lecture on
philosophy in the gymnasium of the Academia.
II.
Heu quam praecipiti mersa profundo
Mens hebet et propria luce relicta
Tendit in externas ire tenebras,
Terrenis quotiens flatibus aucta
Crescit in inmensum noxia cura. 5
Hic quondam caelo liber aperto
Suetus in aetherios ire meatus
Cernebat rosei lumina solis,
Visebat gelidae sidera lunae
Et quaecumque uagos stella recursus 10
Exercet uarios flexa per orbes,
Comprensam numeris uictor habebat.
Quin etiam causas unde sonora
Flamina sollicitent aequora ponti,
Quis uoluat stabilem spiritus orbem 15
Vel cur hesperias sidus in undas
Casurum rutilo surgat ab ortu,
Quid ueris placidas temperet horas,
Vt terram roseis floribus ornet,
Quis dedit ut pleno fertilis anno 20
Autumnus grauidis influat uuis
Rimari solitus atque latentis
Naturae uarias reddere causas,
Nunc iacet effeto lumine mentis
Et pressus grauibus colla catenis 25
Decliuemque gerens pondere uultum
Cogitur, heu, stolidam cernere terram.
II.
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