Chaucer's Boece (1886)

Anicius Manlius Severinus Boëthius (477-524 AD) was a Roman senator, consul, magister officiorum, and philosopher of the early 6th century. Boethius entered public service under King Theodoric the Great, who later imprisoned and executed him in 524 on charges of conspiracy to overthrow him. While jailed, Boethius composed his Consolation of Philosophy, a philosophical treatise on fortune, death, and other issues, which became one of the most popular and influential works of the Middle Ages. As the author of numerous handbooks and translator of Aristotle, he became the main intermediary between Classical antiquity and following centuries. Boethius was recognized as a saint in 1883 and is considered a martyr for the Catholic faith by the Roman Martyrology. He is also venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church.