Prosa 4

section 1

illabuntur: "make their way into," with dative.
O)/NOJ LU/RAJ: "the ass [hearing] the lyre," a proverbial expression for a person obtuse to higher things; the phrase was the title of a now lost Menippean satire of Varro (d. 27 B.C.), whose genre B. employs in the Consolatio.
manas: < mano, "flow, drip."
*E)CAU/DA MH\ KEU=QE NO/W|: "Speak out, do not hide [it] in your mind." Iliad 1.363, spoken by Thetis, mother of Achilles, who has just asked him why he is weeping.
oportet: oportet . . . detegas: "it is necessary that you uncover."
detegas: oportet . . . detegas: "it is necessary that you uncover."

section 2

collecto in uires animo: ablative absolute, "when I had gathered my mind for strength," i.e., "my mind's strength."
Anne: introducing question: "really?"
eget: "lack, need," governing the ablative (ammonitione).

section 3

Haecine: = Haece + ne. Hice, haece, hoce is an emphatic form of hic, haec, hoc.
laribus: see on 1P3.2.
de humanarum diuinarumque rerum scientia: Cicero, De Officiis 2.5: "Sapientia . . . est, ut a veteribus philosophis definitum est, rerum divinarum et humanarum . . . scientia": "Wisdom, as it was defined by the ancient philosophers, is knowledge of the affairs of gods and men."

section 4

habitus: "manner of dress."
rimarer: cf. 1M2.22.
radio: < radius, a mathematician's instrument for measuring and drawing.
referimus: < refero, here, "bring back."
obsequentes: < obsequor, "comply with, yield to."

section 5

sententiam Platonis: Plato, Republic 5.473D, and elsewhere.
fore: = futuras esse.
rectores: accusative subject of studere.
studere: studere . . . contigisset: contingo ("come about") can take accusative/infinitive in late Latin.
contigisset: studere . . . contigisset: contingo ("come about") can take accusative/infinitive in late Latin.

section 6

capessendae rei publicae: "for entering upon public life."
ne improbis: ne . . . ferrent: purpose clause explaining causam in the preceding clause.
relicta: participle modifying the nominative gubernacula and governing preceding datives.
ferrent: ne . . . ferrent: purpose clause explaining causam in the preceding clause.

section 7

quod: quod . . . didiceram: (< disco, "learn"): object of transferre.
didiceram: quod . . . didiceram: (< disco, "learn"): object of transferre.

section 8

Tu: Tu . . . et . . . deus conscii: sc. sunt.
deus conscii: Tu . . . et . . . deus conscii: sc. sunt.
nullum: nullum (sc. studium) . . . detulisse: accusative/infinitive, governed by conscii [sunt] treated as a verb of knowing.
detulisse: nullum (sc. studium) . . . detulisse: accusative/infinitive, governed by conscii [sunt] treated as a verb of knowing.

section 9

Inde: "from this," i.e., studium.
discordiae: sc. erant.
quod: in apposition with the phrase, "pro tuendo . . . offensio."
conscientiae: "conscience" (a new meaning in late Latin).
pro tuendo iure: "for guarding the law" (tuendo is gerundive in place of gerund).
spreta: < sperno, "reject, scorn."
potentiorum: comparative < potens, "powerful [person]."

section 10

Conigastum: a Goth, holding a public office of the highest rank. Though Goths and Romans coexisted peaceably in the Ostrogothic kingdom, there was some friction. No Goths appear in a good light in the Consolatio, for B. had given up currying favor by this time.
imbecilli cuiusque: "of every weak [man]."
Trigguillam: a Goth, in charge of the royal household and thereby able to exercise influence over many spheres of activity.
regiae: regiae . . . domus: genitive with praepositum.
domus: regiae . . . domus: genitive with praepositum.
ab incepta: ab incepta . . . iniuria: i.e., ab incepta iniuria, ab iniuria iam prorsus perpetrata.
iniuria: ab incepta . . . iniuria: i.e., ab incepta iniuria, ab iniuria iam prorsus perpetrata.
obiecta periculis auctoritate: ablative absolute, "by exposing my influence to danger."

section 11

fortunas: fortunas . . . pessumdari: accusative/infinitive governed by indolui (< indolesco, "grieve").
pessumdari: fortunas . . . pessumdari: accusative/infinitive governed by indolui (< indolesco, "grieve").

section 12

12: The date of this particular episode is not known; it is natural but not necessary to assume it happened while B. served as magister officiorum. Campania was the site of the country estates of many wealthy senators.
indicta coemptio: coemptio was a compulsory sale of produce to the state (at a price below market rate), imposed (indicta) on a province in time of special need.
profligatura: "about to ruin."
inopia: ablative of means.
praefectum praetorii: originally colonel-in-chief of the praetorian guard, later something like prime minister; he handled all but strictly military affairs, especially matters of taxation and expenditure. He would have been a wealthy (native Roman) senator like Boethius.
rege cognoscente: ablative absolute, "when the king was hearing the case."
ne: ne . . . exigeretur: result clause after evici (ne often replaces ut non in later Latin).
exigeretur: ne . . . exigeretur: result clause after evici (ne often replaces ut non in later Latin).

section 13

Paulinum: consul in 498 (hence a consularis, "of consular rank"), who later opposed B.'s father-in-law in a lawsuit. The episode alluded to here is otherwise unknown.
Palatinae: "of the palace."
iam: iam . . . deuorassent: past potential subjunctive: "had all but devoured [but didn't]."
deuorassent: iam . . . deuorassent: past potential subjunctive: "had all but devoured [but didn't]."
hiantium: < hio: "gape, yawn" (adjective used as a substantive).

section 14

Albinum: consul in 493, whose troubles with the regime were the beginning of B.'s downfall.
Cypriani: a Roman unusually close to the Gothic regime, one of few known to have served in a military capacity and to have had his sons learn Gothic.
delatoris: "informer, denouncer" (< defero, deferre -- cf. deferentibus in 1P4.15).

section 15

15: B. thinks his refusal to ingratiate himself with corrupt courtiers should have won him friends away from court, but his accusers were members of his own senatorial class.
qui: i.e., Boethius.
aulicos: "people of the aula," i.e., courtiers.
quo magis essem tutior: The antecedent of quo is nihil; "nothing by which I might be safer" (note redundant double comparative).
deferentibus: See on delatoris (sec. 14).
perculsi: < percello, "overthrow, ruin."

section 16

Quorum: sc. delatorum.
Basilius: a senator, but not of the highest rank.
alieni aeris: literally, "another's money," hence in the Latin of all periods, "debt."

section 17

Opilionem: Opilionem . . . atque Gaudentium . . . ire in exilium: accusative/infinitive, object of decrevisset. Opilio was brother of Cyprianus and son-in-law of Basilius. He and his brother remained fiercely loyal to whatever Gothic regime held power, and prospered after B.'s death.
Gaudentium: Opilionem . . . atque Gaudentium . . . ire in exilium: accusative/infinitive, object of decrevisset. Gaudentius was another minor senatorial figure.
ire in exilium: Opilionem . . . atque Gaudentium . . . ire in exilium: accusative/infinitive, object of decrevisset.
sacrarum: sacrarum . . . aedium: genitive with defensione; the expression is classical, but clearly a Christian church is implied. The etiquette of late Latin style encouraged writers like B. to avoid neologisms like ecclesia.
aedium: sacrarum . . . aedium: genitive with defensione; the expression is classical, but clearly a Christian church is implied. The etiquette of late Latin style encouraged writers like B. to avoid neologisms like ecclesia.
compertumque: compertumque . . . foret: "and when the king found out about it".
foret: compertumque . . . foret: "and when the king found out about it"; foret = esset.
uti: uti . . . pellerentur: indirect command, and hence subjunctive, after edixit.
notas insigniti frontibus: "marked on their foreheads with brands" (an old Roman punishment).
pellerentur: uti . . . pellerentur: indirect command, and hence subjunctive, after edixit.

section 18

astrui: passive infinitive < astruo, "build on, add" (< ad + struo).
Atquin: = atqui.
deferentibus eisdem: ablative absolute.

section 19

praemissa damnatio: "prearranged condemnation"; the idea is that B. has been framed and the accusers play only a secondary role.
puduit: < the impersonal verb pudet, "put x [accusative of person] to shame for y [genitive of cause of shame]";
uilitas: it is better to read uilitatis (cf. Gruber ad loc.) as a genitive of the cause of shame with puduit, to parallel innocentiae.

section 20

20: construe: At quaeres summam criminis cuius arguimur?
criminis: < crimen, means either "crime" (here) or "accusation" (sec. 22 infra).

section 21

ne: ne . . . deferret: clause of hindering with impedisse.
deferret: ne . . . deferret: clause of hindering with impedisse.
quibus: quibus . . . faceret: relative clause of purpose.
maiestatis reum: "guilty of treason."
faceret: quibus . . . faceret: relative clause of purpose.

section 22

uolui: sc. senatum saluum esse.

section 23

Sed: Sed . . . cessauit: "But the attempt to hinder the delator has ended [in failure]."
cessauit: Sed . . . cessauit: "But the attempt to hinder the delator has ended [in failure]."
illius ordinis: i.e., of the Senate.
suis: suis . . . decretis: otherwise unrecorded senate resolutions supporting the king against B.
decretis: suis . . . decretis: otherwise unrecorded senate resolutions supporting the king against B.
uti: uti . . . esset: clause of result after effecerat.
esset: uti . . . esset: clause of result after effecerat.

section 24

sibi semper mentiens: "always lying to itself"; (mentiens < mentior, "lie").
rerum merita: "the merits of the case, the facts of the matter"; merita is accusative plural.
fas: fas . . . mendacium: almost a translation of Socrates' words in Plato's Theaetetus 151D.
mendacium: fas . . . mendacium: almost a translation of Socrates' words in Plato's Theaetetus 151D.

section 25

quoquo modo sit: indirect question after aestimandum ("to be evaluated").
tuo sapientiumque iudicio: "by your judgment and [that] of wise [people generally]."
latere: here takes direct object, posteros: "to escape the attention of posterity."
stilo: stilo . . . mandaui: could be taken to mean that B. had earlier written a fuller, more detailed statement in his own defense.
mandaui: stilo . . . mandaui: could be taken to mean that B. had earlier written a fuller, more detailed statement in his own defense.

section 26

falso: "falsely."
libertatem: libertatem . . . Romanam: an old label habitually and meaninglessly used by Roman senators to describe any regime or policy that seemed preferable to the status quo, to which they continued to give supine acquiescence.
Romanam: libertatem . . . Romanam: an old label habitually and meaninglessly used by Roman senators to describe any regime or policy that seemed preferable to the status quo, to which they continued to give supine acquiescence.
quid attinet: "what does it accomplish?"
quod: antecedent is ipsorum confessione delatorum uti.
uti: infinitive < utor (+ ablative).

section 27

utinam posset: the imperfect subjunctive shows the wish is incapable of fulfilment.
Canii: Canii . . . Gaio Caesare: cf. 1P3.9. Germanicus was the father of Caligula.
Gaio Caesare: Canii . . . Gaio Caesare: cf. 1P3.9. Germanicus was the father of Caligula.
se: antecedent is Gaio.

section 28

hebetauit: "dulled, blunted."
scelerata: "criminal deeds"; accusative.
molitos: sc. esse.
effecisse: the subject is impios, while the object is the relative clause quae speraverint (subjunctive in relative clause in indirect discourse).

section 29

deteriora uelle: "to want [to do] worse things."
nostri: nostri . . . defectus: "a mark of our [common human] weakness," genitive of characteristic.
fuerit: hortatory subjunctive to express concession: "[Suppose/grant] it was."
defectus: nostri . . . defectus: "a mark of our [common human] weakness," genitive of characteristic.
posse: sc. deteriora; "[but] to be able [to do worse things]"; the phrase is the subject of est.
inspectante deo: ablative absolute.
monstri: genitive with simile; monstrum is literally a portentous event contrary to nature.

section 30

iniuria: ablative (with adverbial force, "unjustly").
quidam: The source of the quotation is doubtful, but may be a fifth century (A.D.) commentary by Proclus on the Parmenides of Plato.

section 31

fas fuerit: "[Granted] it was right"; governing accusative /infinitive; this sentence establishes a concession to which the following sentence ("Sed num . . . ?") responds.
perditum ire: "to aim at destroying," supine of purpose (cf. note on 1P3.7); with uoluisse, the force is almost the same as perdere.

section 32

num: interrogative particle expecting a negative answer.
me dicturum quid facturumue: "me [when I was] about to say or do anything."
Veronae: locative; the Ostrogothic kings held court at several cities in northern Italy, principally Verona, Pavia, and Ravenna.
auidus: "greedy for" + genitive.
Albinum: see on 1P4.14.
delatae: transferred epithet, i.e., applies more precisely to crimen than to maiestatis.
quanta: quanta . . . defenderim: indirect question governed by meministi.
securitate: stronger than English 'security'; here, "heedlessness, confident disregard."
defenderim: quanta . . . defenderim: indirect question governed by meministi.

section 33

haec: the contents of this prosa.
et: et . . . et: "both . . . and," connecting proferre and iactasse.
et: et . . . et: "both . . . and," connecting proferre and iactasse.
mei: objective genitive with laude: "praise of myself."
minuit: intransitive, "grows smaller."
se: object of probantis.
secretum: "separateness, autonomy," with an overtone of integrity.
quis: indefinite, "someone, anyone."
factum: accusative object of ostentando.

section 34

subimus: < subeo, here "undergo."

section 35

Eccuius: < ecquis, "any," always interrogative.
summitteret: here, "placate, soften."

section 36

iugulare: literally, "to slit the throat."
bonis omnibus: dative of reference; here, as often, it can be translated almost like a genitive.
struxisse: < struo, "prepare, contrive."
praesentem: sc. me.
sententia: abstract subject of punisset.
quingentis: quingentis . . . milibus: ablative, to express distance, with procul, adverb, "at a distance [of]." The location of B.'s imprisonment is not certain, but was probably in or near Ticinum (mod. Pavia), about 20 m. south of Milan. Distance must be calculated by tracing the standard Roman roads through the Apennines, not by air mileage or modern highways, and by using the Roman mile (approx. 95 yards shorter than the English).
milibus: quingentis . . . milibus: ablative, to express distance, with procul, adverb, "at a distance [of]." The location of B.'s imprisonment is not certain, but was probably in or near Ticinum (mod. Pavia), about 20 m. south of Milan. Distance must be calculated by tracing the standard Roman roads through the Apennines, not by air mileage or modern highways, and by using the Roman mile (approx. 95 yards shorter than the English).
propensius: comparative of < propensus, "well-disposed"; here, "too well-disposed"; modifies studium.
morti: this is the only explicit indication in the Consolatio that B. foresaw his own imminent death.
meritos: sc. senatores (accusative of exclamation). The senate no longer deserves another such protector.
neminem posse conuinci: accusative/infinitive governed by meritos.

section 37

dignitatem reatus: a conscious oxymoron; reatus ("status as defendant in a criminal case") is genitive, modified by the connecting relative cuius .
quam: sc. dignitatem.
fuscarent: "blacken, stain."
ob ambitum dignitatis: "for the sake of achieving [by questionable means] public office."
sacrilegio: cf. 41 below. B.'s arcane scientific and philosophical studies may have been the pretext of a charge of black magic (two senators had been tried and executed on a similar charge in 510, while B. was serving as consul).
me conscientiam polluisse: accusative/infinitive after mentiti sunt.

section 38

insita: "innate" (< insero), nominative singular feminine, agreeing with tu.
E(/POU QEOW=|: "follow God," a common philosophic slogan, here attributed to Pythagoras (fl. c. 525 B.C.).

section 39

conueniebat: "was it appropriate" with accusative/infinitive.
uilissimorum: uilissimorum . . . spirituum: i.e., demons, believed by Christian antiquity to be the agents of magic and witchcraft.
spirituum: uilissimorum . . . spirituum: i.e., demons, believed by Christian antiquity to be the agents of magic and witchcraft.
quem: antecedent is me.
ut: ut . . . faceres: purpose clause.
faceres: ut . . . faceres: purpose clause.

section 40

penetral: "inner chamber, sanctuary"; nominative singular neuter.
socer: "father-in-law," i.e., Symmachus, consul in 485, a learned Roman grandee, not often in public office but influential nonetheless. (See Introduction.)
aeque ac tu ipsa reuerendus: "just as worthy of deep respect as you yourself."

section 41

Illi: B.'s accusers.
hoc ipso: correlative with quod, "for this reason . . . because."
maleficio: literally "evil-doing," often used specifically of magic and witchcraft (cf. sacrilegio: sec. 37).

section 42

nihil: adverbial, "not at all."
tuam: tuam . . . reuerentiam: B.'s devotion to P.; tuam here = tui (objective genitive).
reuerentiam: tuam . . . reuerentiam: B.'s devotion to P.; tuam here = tui (objective genitive).
mea: mea . . . offensione: mea here = mei (objective genitive); "by the injury directed against me."
offensione: mea . . . offensione: mea here = mei (objective genitive); "by the injury directed against me."
lacereris: present subjunctive in mixed condition.

section 43

accedit: "is added to" with dative.
rerum merita: See on 1P4.24.
tantum: "only."
prouisa: providence is prominent in Books 4-5; here it is first glimpsed in a mistaken notion held by the doubtful populace.
quo fit ut: "whereby it happens that" (common expression in B.).
prima: has adverbial force.

section 44

Qui: Qui: . . . rumores, quam . . . sententiae: sc. fuerint; indirect questions governed by reminisci.
rumores, quam: Qui . . . rumores, quam . . . sententiae: sc. fuerint; indirect questions governed by reminisci.
sententiae: Qui . . . rumores, quam . . . sententiae: sc. fuerint; indirect questions governed by reminisci.
hoc tantum dixerim: "I would say only this." hoc is in apposition with the indirect statement sarcinam esse.

section 45

exutus: "stripped" (< exuo), with ablative

section 46

officinas: "workshops, factories," with a sneer. B.'s vision includes: the guilty rejoicing, others threatening new accusations, the good laid low by fear, the criminal egged on to dare and to accomplish evil by the prospect of reward, the innocent bereft of confidence and protection.
nouis: nouis . . . fraudibus: instrumental ablative.
fraudibus: nouis . . . fraudibus: instrumental ablative.
impunitate: "without [fear of] punishment."