BORTHIUS, Anicius Manlius Severinus, Roman statesman and philosopher: b. about 480 A.D., in Rome or Milan; d. 524. He was educated in Rome, in a manner well cal culated to develop his extraordinary abilities. Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths, then master of Italy, loaded him with marks of favor and esteem and raised him to the first offices in the empire. He exerted the best influence on the administration of this monarch, so that the dominion of the Goths promoted the welfare and happiness of the people who were subject to them. He was long the oracle of his sov ereign and the idol of the people. The high est honors were thought inadequate to reward his virtues and services. But Theodoric, as he grew old, became irritable, jealous and distrust ful of those about him. The Goths now in dulged in all sorts of oppression and extortion, while Boethius exerted himself in vain to re strain them. He had already made many ene mies by his strict integrity and vigilant justice. These at last succeeded in prejudicing the King against him and rendering him suspicious of Boethius. His opposition to their unjust meas ures was construed into a rebellious temper, and he was accused of a treasonable corre spondence with the court of Constantinople.
He was arrested, imprisoned and executed at Pavia. He made many laborious translations
of the Greek philosophers, particularly of Aris totle. These translations, and especially his commentaries on Aristotle, caused him to be regarded up till the 14th century as the highest authority in philosophy. His treatise, We Musica,) also supplied for many centuries the place of Greek originals. His fame now chiefly rests on his 'Consolations of Philosophy,' written in prison, a work of elevated thought and diction, and while piously theistic in its language, gives no indication of Christian be lief on the part of its author. It is .written partly in prose and partly in verse. The oldest edition of this work was published at Nurem berg in 1473. It was translated by King Alfred and Chaucer, and was highly prized during the Middle Ages. Boethius also translated Euclid and other Greek mathematical works into Latin, and wrote short treatises on algebra and geometry, which were used as school textbooks during the Middle Ages. The appearance in these works of characters similar to Hindu numerals has raised the question as to whether he was familiar with the works of the Hindu mathematicians. Consult Stewart, A. F., 'Boethius: An Essay' (Edinburgh 1891).