The Consolation of Philosophy
by Boethius
The Consolation of Philosophy is a Latin work by the Roman philosopher Boethius, written around 523 to 524 while he awaited execution for alleged treason under the Ostrogothic king Theodoric. Mixing prose and verse, it was later translated into English by Alfred the Great, Chaucer and Elizabeth I.
- Editions tracked
- 1
Which edition do you have?
Editions
- Excusum1654 Hardback I own De Consolatione, Anglo-Latine Expressus, Excusum 1654 Log in to want this
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
Adaptations
- Boecis adaptation, 1100
- Le roman de Philosophie adaptation, 1200
- Le roman de Fortune et de Felicité adaptation
- Le roman de Fortune et de Felicité (abridged version) adaptation
In print
- Editions recorded
- 122 on Open Library, 46 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 31 languages
- Free to read
- Project Gutenberg (out of copyright in the US)
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
Pictures of the book
Freely licensed pictures of the work. They are not necessarily the edition you hold: check the points on each edition's page.
Questions about The Consolation of Philosophy
Reviews of The Consolation of Philosophy
Read it or own it? Share what The Consolation of Philosophy is like to read or collect.
Know what you are looking at
How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
Read the guide →6 min readBook Condition Grading: Fine to Poor Explained
Book condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
Read the guide →7 min readDust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
How many editions of The Consolation of Philosophy are there?
We track 1 edition of The Consolation of Philosophy. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Has The Consolation of Philosophy been adapted?
Yes, including Le roman de Fortune et de Felicité (adaptation), Le roman de Fortune et de Felicité (abridged version) (adaptation), Le roman de Philosophie (adaptation, 1200), according to Wikidata.
When was The Consolation of Philosophy first published?
The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius was first published in 1483.
Can I read The Consolation of Philosophy for free?
Yes: the text is out of copyright in the United States and free to read on Project Gutenberg. Collectors still pay for the first edition, which is the physical object, not the words.
Where these facts come from
- On the Consolation of Philosophy, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- De consolatione philosophiae (Q861927), Wikidata (wikidata.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 21 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.