The last major Roman general we discussed in the episode – the one who died in 472 CE, was:

In the Consolation, in order to dissuade Boethius from believing that “accidental chance” (4.5) rules the world, lady Philosophy tells Boethius that divine Providence actually governs the cosmos. She tells Boethius that what we see as random chance is a lesser system of causality that she calls:

This Byzantine Emperor, on the throne between 491-518, came to the throne late in life and ruled competently, leaving Theoderic mostly to his own devices to rule over in Italy during the same period.

The Acacian schism, which lasted from 484-519, was a Christological controversy between prominent leaders and churchmen of the Mediterranean world. It caused a rift between:

This dynasty came to power in Constantinople in 518 CE, and seems to have westward-leaning imperialistic ambitions from the beginning.

In his other philosophical work (beyond the Consolation), Boethius wrote extensively on:

Boethius lived from roughly:

Beyond the Consolation of Philosophy and the Catholic tracts that Boethius wrote, the branch of philosophy with which he engaged most extensively was:

The letters that the statesman Cassiodorus left behind from Theoderic to Boethius show:

As one reads the Consolation, what unusual quality does Boethius share with the character Job?

The king ruling Italy during most of Boethius’ lifetime, and under whom Boethius worked, was:

The three main power blocs vying for supremacy in Ravenna and Rome during Boethius’ lifetime were:

To help cope with the notion of determinism, and reconcile the idea of free will with that of an omniscient deity, Boethius borrows this idea from Saint Augustine (who himself borrowed it from elsewhere):

In The Consolation of Philosophy, lady Philosophy has the Greek letter Θ (theta) on her upper robe, below which is the Greek letter Π (pi). What does this symbolize?

Why did Theoderic have Boethius imprisoned and executed?