medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (23. October) is the feast day of:
Severinus Boethius (d. ca. 525). Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius is
too well known to require an account in this context. For a brief
overview (unfortunately scanting B.'s medievally very influential
arithmetical and musical writings), see John Marenbon's entry on him in
the _Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy_:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/boethius/
B.'s cult at Pavia is at least as old as the thirteenth century; it was
confirmed by Leo XIII in 1883. The choice of the day -- B.'s supposed
_dies natalis_ -- is thought to have arisen from its being the feast day
of St. Severinus of Köln (easily replaceable at Pavia).
Here's a view of B.'s tomb in Pavia's church of San Pietro in Ciel
d'Oro:
http://tinyurl.com/ssgz6
Some other Boethian visuals:
Dedication portrait of B. offering the _De institutione arithmetica_ to
his father-in-law, Symmachus (Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek, Ms. Msc. Class.
5 [olim HJ IV 12]; ca. 845):
http://www.historisches-franken.de/stadtplanung/bilder/bamberg264.jpg
Portrait of B. the authority on music (Cambridge University Library,
Ms. Ii.3.12, fol. 61v; ca. 1130):
http://tinyurl.com/yhxydx
Same, showing colors of the original and location on page:
http://tinyurl.com/ylkwwm
Chartres Cathedral, west facade, right portal. The top two figures at
right in the central archivolt represent Arithmetica and, below her and
bearded, her outstanding ancient authority, B. (ca. 1145-55):
http://tinyurl.com/jwqy5
http://tinyurl.com/yqxecs
This page has several expandable views of illuminations depicting B.
from fourteenth- and fifteenth-century mss. of the _Consolatio
Philosophiae (in Middle French) and of a Latin-language commentary on
the _Consolatio_:
http://tinyurl.com/2p7vjt
Miniatures of B. teaching students and in prison (Glasgow University
Library, Ms. Hunter 374 [olim V.1.11]; ca. 1385):
http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/images/chaucer/H374_0004r.jpg
Same, first miniature only:
http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/exhibns/treasures/boethius.html
The opening miniature of a fifteenth-century ms. of Laurent de
Premierfait's French-language translation of Boccaccio's _De casibus
virorum illustrium_ (Glasgow University Library, Ms. Hunter 371-372
[olim V.1.8-9]; 1467), with Fortune showing her wheel and B. at
lower left:
http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/images/chaucer/H371_0001r.jpg
Best,
John Dillon
(last year's post lightly revised)
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