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The Old English Boethius
with Verse Prologues and Epilogues Associated with King Alfred
Series: Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library
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Check link for latest rating. ( 23 ratings, 4 reviews)
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See moreBoethiusβ Consolation of Philosophy, a 6th century meditation on fate, free will, and virtue, was translated from Latin to Old English around 900, bringing it to a vernacular audience for the first time. This edition, translated from Old English by Susan Irvine and Malcolm Godden, includes verse prologues and epilogues associated with King Alfred.
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Description
The Old English Boethius boldly refashions in Anglo-Saxon guise a great literary monument of the late-antique world, The Consolation of Philosophy. Condemned to death for treason around 525 CE, the Roman scholar Boethius turned to philosophy to transform his personal distress into a powerful meditation on fate, free will, and the human capacity for virtue in a flawed, fallen world.
Boethius's Latin dialogues found a receptive audience in Anglo-Saxon England, where they were translated into Old English sometime around 900. The translator (traditionally identified with King Alfred) freely adapts the Latin for a new audience: the Roman Fabricius, for example, becomes the Germanic weapon-smith Weland. The translation replicates Boethius's alternation of prose and verseβonly in this case, Old English prose alternates with alliterative verse.
In later centuries, Chaucer and Queen Elizabeth each turned The Consolation of Philosophy into English, but the Old English translation was the first to bring it to a wider vernacular audience. Verse prologues and epilogues for works traditionally associated with King Alfred fill out the volume, offering readers a fascinating glimpse of the moment when English confidently claimed its birthright as a literature capable of anything, from sublime ideas to subtle poetry.
Series: Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The Old English Boethius has been praised for providing a thorough and scholarly yet accessible presentation of its subject. It includes detailed editions, translations into Modern English, and comprehensive commentary. This work is considered foundational for future research, with significant credit given to Godden and Irvine for their comprehensive exploration of the texts.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780674055582
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 19 November 2012
Country: United States
Imprint: Harvard University Press
Contributors:
- Edited and translated by Susan Irvine
- Edited and translated by Malcolm R. Godden
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 133.0mm
Height: 203.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 480
About the Author
Susan Irvine is Professor of English, University College London. Malcolm R. Godden was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at the University of Oxford.
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