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Biography: Anicius BoethiusAnicius Manlius Severinus Boethius was born 475 in (probably) Rome, Italy and he died 524 in Pavia, Italy. Boethius was born into an aristocratic Christian family and he became a consul in 510. He wrote texts on geometry and arithmetic which were of poor quality but used for many centuries during a time when mathematical achievement in Europe was at a remarkable low.
Boethius was a friend of Theodoric, king of Italy and of the Goths. Russell, in [14] writes:-
Theodoric employed Boethius to reform the coinage, and to astonish less sophisticated barbarian kings with such devices as sun-dials and water-clocks.
Russell also says that Boethius stands out as a man of great learning and great zeal, free from superstition and fanaticism. Again quoting [14]:-
He would have been remarkable in any age, in the age in which he lived, he is utterly amazing.
Boethius translated Aristotle's Organon but died before he could translate Plato's work and fulfil his aim of harmonising the two philosophies.
He fell from favour and was put in prison where he wrote De consolatione philosophiae . Russell says
Theodoric ... believed, rightly or wrongly, that there was a plot involving men in his own government. This led him to imprison and execute his minister, the senator Boethius.
After the spell in prison Boethius was executed on the charge of treason and magic.
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