Roman statesman and philosopher whose Latin translation of and two commentaries on the Isagoge made Porphyry’s book the first text of logic in the medieval West.
Life
Boethius was born into the Roman aristocracy around 475–480, under Ostrogothic rule. He was consul by 510 and became magister officiorum, head of the palace administration, in 522. He was later imprisoned and executed; while awaiting execution he wrote the Consolation of Philosophy.
He planned to translate and comment on all the works of Plato and Aristotle, a project cut short by his death. He did translate Porphyry’s Isagoge and wrote two on it: the first (ca. 504–505) on the earlier Latin translation of Marius Victorinus, the second (ca. 507–509) on his own translation. In the second he discusses Porphyry’s questions about genera and and argues that , as abstractions of the mind, are not empty thoughts.
Uncertain or disputed
- Dates: SEP gives birth c. 475–7 and death probably 526; Wikipedia gives c. 480 and 524.
- The place of execution is reported differently: Pavia, where his remains were later entombed, or an estate called the Ager Calventianus (Wikipedia).
- No established Arabic form of his name is given here, since he played no part in the Arabic tradition.
Works
- Latin translation of Porphyry’s Isagoge — on PorphyryBecame a standard textbook in medieval European schools and universities.translation
- Two commentaries on the Isagoge — on PorphyryFirst commentary ca. 504–505 (on Victorinus’ translation), second ca. 507–509 (on his own); the second raised the medieval ‘problem of universals’.commentary
Reception
His made Porphyry’s three questions about one of the main debates of medieval Latin philosophy (SEP; Wikipedia).
His work belongs to the Latin branch of the Isagoge’s history, which developed separately from the Arabic tradition.
Sources (4)