The Consolation of Philosophy
Awaiting execution on false charges, the Roman statesman Boethius is visited in his cell by Lady Philosophy, who consoles him by showing that worldly fortune is fickle, that true happiness lies within, and that a just providence governs all things. Blending prose and verse, argument and poetry, this profound meditation on suffering, fate, and the highest good became one of the most read and beloved books of the Middle Ages, translated by Alfred the Great, Chaucer, and Queen Elizabeth I. Serene, wise, and deeply moving, The Consolation of Philosophy offers timeless comfort in the face of misfortune and remains a cornerstone of Western thought.
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Listen to The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius free online. The full audiobook (5 hr 13 min, 41 chapters, read by volunteer narrators) streams free on this page.
The Consolation of Philosophy (1900) is a public domain work.
| # | Chapter | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Preface & Proem | 7:21 | |
| 2 | Bk1: Song I: Boethius' Complaint, and section I | 4:58 | |
| 3 | Bk1: Song II: His Depondency, and section II | 2:53 | |
| 4 | Bk 1: Song III: The Mists Dispelled, and section III | 4:08 | |
| 5 | Bk 1: Song IV: Nothing Can Subdue Virtue, and section IV | 16:21 | |
| 6 | Bk 1: Song V: Boethius' Prayer, and section V | 6:26 | |
| 7 | Bk 1: Song VI: All Things Have Their Needful Order, and section VI | 5:53 | |
| 8 | Bk 1: Song VII: The Perturbations of Passion | 1:23 | |
| 9 | Bk 2: Section I, and Song I: Fortune's Malice | 6:18 | |
| 10 | Bk 2: Section II, and Song II: Man's Covetousness | 5:15 | |
| 11 | Bk 2: Section III, and Song III: All Passes | 5:41 | |
| 12 | Bk 2: Section IV, and Song IV: The Golden Mean | 8:25 | |
| 13 | Bk 2: Section V, and Song V: The Former Age | 11:34 | |
| 14 | Bk 2: Section VI, and Song VI: Nero's Infamy | 6:51 | |
| 15 | Bk 2: Section VII, and Song VII: Glory May Not Last | 7:09 | |
| 16 | Bk 2: Section VIII, and Song VIII: Love Is Lord of All | 3:40 | |
| 17 | Bk 3: Section I, and Song I: The Thorns of Error | 2:43 | |
| 18 | Bk 3: Section II, and Song II: The Bent of Nature | 9:19 | |
| 19 | Bk 3: Section III, and Song III: The Insatiableness of Avarice | 5:21 | |
| 20 | Bk 3: Section IV, and Song IV: Disgrace of Honours Conferred by a Tyrant | 4:28 | |
| 21 | Bk 3: Section V, and Song V: Self-Mastery | 3:47 | |
| 22 | Bk 3: Section VI, and Song VI: True Nobility | 3:15 | |
| 23 | Bk 3: Section VII, and Song VII: Pleasure's Sting | 2:27 | |
| 24 | Bk 3: Section VIII, and Song VIII: Human Folly | 5:05 | |
| 25 | Bk 3: Section IX, and Song IX: Invocation | 12:07 | |
| 26 | Bk 3: Section X, and Song X: The True Light | 13:43 | |
| 27 | Bk 3: Section XI, and Song XI: Reminiscence | 9:56 | |
| 28 | Bk 3: Section XII, and Song XII: Orpheus and Eurydice | 12:37 | |
| 29 | Bk 4: Section I, and Song I: The Soul's Flight | 5:52 | |
| 30 | Bk 4: Section II, and Song II: The Bondage of Passion | 10:49 | |
| 31 | Bk 4: Section III, and Song III: Circe's Cup | 8:29 | |
| 32 | Bk 4: Section IV, and Song IV: The Unreasonableness of Hatred | 14:01 | |
| 33 | Bk 4: Section V, and Song V: Wonder and Ignorance | 4:05 | |
| 34 | Bk 4: Section VI, and Song VI: The Universal Aim | 21:02 | |
| 35 | Bk 4: Section VII, and Song VII: The Hero's Path | 5:21 | |
| 36 | Bk 5: Section I, and Song I: Chance | 7:21 | |
| 37 | Bk 5: Section II, and Song II: The True Sun | 3:12 | |
| 38 | Bk 5: Section III, and Song III: Truth's Paradoxes | 11:04 | |
| 39 | Bk 5: Section IV, and Song IV: A Psychological Fallacy | 10:49 | |
| 40 | Bk 5: Section V, and Song V: The Upward Look | 6:20 | |
| 41 | Bk 5: Section VI & Epilogue | 15:35 |
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