Boethius lost everything to the vicissitudes of Roman politics and went into exile. Philosophy anthropomorphized as a woman appears to him and helps him out of despair by clearing up his thinking. A unique blending of stoicism and early Christian thought, the Consolation teaches that despite appearances the universe is governed by reason and order, and while fortunes rise and fall the rational mind with accept all changes with equanimity. I read the book in a Medieval Lit class in college and it has been a favorite ever since.
