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This eleventh century Occitan poem gives us a lively and dramatic account of the life of Boethius, the renowned philosopher and statesman, who lived at the court of Theodoric, king of the Goths in sixth century Ravenna. The fame and fortune of Boethius arouse envy and hostility, leading to his arrest on the charge of treason. Imprisoned and awaiting execution, he finds solace in his Christian faith and is visited by a lady of great beauty and radiance. She is an instrument of divine justice, with the power to choose between the just and the damned. The author presents Boethius as a saint and martyr, an example of piety and perseverance and an inspiration to the youthful audience addressed in the opening lines of the poem.

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Veronica Fraser is a retired professor of French studies at the University of Windsor, Ontario, where she taught courses on Old French and Old Occitan language and literature. She is the author of a book on the troubadour Peire Vidal and many articles on medieval lyric poetry, rhetoric and hagiography.

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