Boezio - Consolatio Philosophiae - 1680

THE MASTERPIECE BORN IN THE SHADOW OF THE GALLOWS: FORTUNE AND THE FRAGILE DESTINY OF MEN
Elegant seventeenth-century edition of the celebrated Consolation of Philosophy by Severinus Boethius, one of the most influential texts of Western civilization. Composed during the imprisonment that preceded his execution, the work represents an extraordinary meditation on fate, happiness, divine justice, and the fragility of earthly power. For over a millennium it constituted one of the fundamental readings of European culture, studied by theologians, philosophers, rulers, and humanists. The present exemplar, preserved in its solid contemporary full-leather binding, testifies to the enduring editorial fortune of a classical work that helped connect the ancient world to medieval and modern culture.
MARKET VALUE
Indicative market range: 500 – 800 euros. Seventeenth-century editions of Consolatio Philosophiae maintain a constant appeal among collectors of philosophy, the history of ideas, and classical literature, with valuations primarily influenced by the quality of the binding, the completeness of the copy, and the state of conservation.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION - COLLECTOR'S COPY
Engraved flyleaf. Solid contemporary full-leather binding with title and gilded embellishments on the five raised bands, mottled edges. Ex libris. Beautiful copy, well preserved and well bound. Complete work. (40), 352, (56) pages. In old books, with a multi-centuries-long history, minor imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description.

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Anicii Manlii Severini Boetii V. C. et Ill. Excons. Ord. Exmag. Off. atque Patricii. De consolationis philosophiae libros quinque interpretatione et notis illustravit Petrus Callyus, Regius Eloquentiae et Philosophiae Professor in Academia Cadomensi. Juxta Christianissimi Regis in usum Serenissimi Delphini.
Lutetiae Parisiorum, apud Lambertum Roulland, Reginae Christianissimae Typographum atque Bibliopolam, via Jacobaea, sub Scuto Reginae, MDCLXXX (1680).
The edition belongs to the famous Delphine edition series, intended for the education of the Grand Dauphin of France under the patronage of the Louis XIV monarchy.
Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Consolation of Philosophy is one of the most read and commented books in European history. Written around 524 A.D. while Boethius awaited execution, it stages a dialogue between the author and Philosophy personified, guiding him through reflections on human fate, providence, and the true nature of happiness. The work became a pillar of medieval teaching and profoundly influenced authors such as Dante, Chaucer, Thomas More, and numerous Renaissance thinkers. Its extraordinary ability to reconcile classical heritage with Christian sensibility made it one of the foundational texts of European culture.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Anicius Manlius Torquatus Severinus Boethius (ca. 480–524) was a Roman philosopher, statesman, and man of letters. Belonging to one of the most illustrious families of late antique aristocracy, he held important offices at the court of the Gothic king Theodoric. Accused of treason, he was imprisoned and finally executed. During his imprisonment he composed Consolation of Philosophy, which would become one of the most famous works of the Middle Ages and the early modern era. Thanks to his translations and commentaries on Aristotle’s logical works, Boethius also contributed decisively to the transmission of Greek philosophy to the Latin West.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Consolation of Philosophy was among the most frequently printed texts from the invention of printing until the 18th century. The Latin editions, often accompanied by scholastic commentaries and erudite apparatus, continued to be used in schools and universities across Europe. The 1680 Paris edition sits within the long French editorial tradition dedicated to the classics of moral philosophy and Latin literature.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU / OPAC SBN, digitized copy of the edition.
WorldCat, bibliographic records of the Paris edition of 1680.
Brunet, Manuel du Libraire, I, pp. 1037-1040.
Graesse, Trésor de livres rares et précieux, I, pp. 490-493.
Copleston, A History of Philosophy, vol. II.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, entry "Boethius".
Cambridge Companion to Boethius.
Migne, Patrologia Latina, vol. 63-64.