In 524, Boethius authored the Consolation of Philosophy on the eve of his unjust execution. Fifteen centuries later, Boethius remains a figure of inspiration and fascination in his own right, and as a profoundly influential figure through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and beyond. In 2024, this memorial conference will consider that wide ranging legacy, hosted at the Symposium of Medieval and Renaissance Studies held annually at St. Louis University in June. The International Boethius Society has had a presence at the SMRS since the symposium started and is pleased to organize this memorial to the life, works, and influence of a writer who shaped medieval and Renaissance thinkers so profoundly.
Abstracts of 250-300 words for proposed papers are due December 31, 2023 in the SMRS online submission portal. Papers should be 15 to 20 minutes in length. All relevant disciplines are welcome. Topics include but are not limited to:
- Fresh examinations of any of Boethius’s works, including his theological writings, work in the liberal arts, and The Consolation of Philosophy
- Consideration of the influence of those texts in medieval authors and genres, such as:
- The early Middle Ages, such as Notker Labeo, Alcuin, and the Old English Boethius
- The 12th century revival in writers such as Bernardus Silvestris, Adelard of Bath, and Alan de Lille
- Chaucer and the Chaucerians or other Middle English literature
- Arthuriana and medieval romance
- Personification allegory, dream visions, and dialogues
- Boethius in Renaissance figures such as Thomas More, Edmund Spenser, or William Shakespeare
- Translation studies of any of the many translations of The Consolation of Philosophy
- Studies of Boethius as represented in art and music
- Boethius in later periods (Romantic, Victorian, Modern, etc.), especially as connected to medievalism
The International Boethius Society and the Symposium of Medieval and Renaissance Studies (http://smrs-slu.org) welcome you to join us for this special memorial celebration of the last of the Romans and first of the scholastics! Questions should be sent to the International Boethius Society’s liaison to the SMRS, Anthony G. Cirilla acirilla@cofo.edu.
For more information about the Society, go to our blog: http://boethius.blogspot.com/.
