When we find ourselves going through difficult times, it's often wise to turn to the wisdom of those who have faced great challenges themselves. One such guide is Boethius, who wrote his most famous work, "The Consolation of Philosophy," while unjustly imprisoned and awaiting execution in the 6th century.
Boethius had been a prominent and respected figure, serving in the court of the Ostrogothic king Theodoric. But when he was falsely accused of treason, he lost everything - his wealth, his status, his freedom. Confronting the cruelty of fate, he came to a liberating realization: "No man can ever be secure until he has been forsaken by fortune."
In other words, true inner peace comes not from clinging to external success and validation, but from cultivating a virtuous character that can't be shaken by life's inevitable ups and downs. This was a truth he forged in the crucible of his own suffering.
Boethius saw that both his past good fortune and his present misfortune could serve a higher purpose. The privileges he had enjoyed allowed him to develop his mind and serve his community. And now, even facing death, he had an opportunity to plumb the depths of life's meaning and leave a legacy of wisdom. "All fortune is good fortune," he concluded, as it can spur us to virtue if we let it.
Boethius recognized how easily we become mired in anxiety, desire and a sense of injustice when we take the world at face value. His own losses threw into sharp relief what actually mattered: not wealth or reputation, but the pursuit of truth, goodness and inner freedom. He also wrote a poem about staying call in midst of hard challenges.
"Whoso calm, serene, sedate,
Sets his foot on haughty fate;
Firm and steadfast, come what will,
Keeps his mien unconquered still;
Him the rage of furious seas,
Tossing high wild menaces,
Nor the flames from smoky forges
That Vesuvius disgorges,
Nor the bolt that from the sky
Smites the tower, can terrify.
Why, then, shouldst thou feel affright
At the tyrant's weakling might?
Dread him not, nor fear no harm,
And thou shall his rage disarm;
But who to hope or fear gives way—
Lost his bosom's rightful sway—
He hath cast away his shield,
Like a coward fled the field;
He hath forged all unaware
Fetters his own neck must bear!"
It suggests that true power comes from within, and that by remaining steadfast in the face of both natural disasters and human tyranny, one can remain truly free. The poem values self-control and courage, while warning against the dangers of being swayed by either excessive hope or fear.
At first, Boethius wrestled with despair at life's seeming arbitrariness - how could it be that a corrupt person thrives while an honest one suffers? But as he contemplated the nature of the universe, he intuited a divine order beneath the chaos, a higher power guiding all things to their rightful end. By aligning ourselves with this deeper truth, he believed we could find solace and purpose.
For Boethius, this meant using his final days to create a work of timeless wisdom that could uplift future generations. He poured his energy not into raging against fate, but into examining his own conscience. In this way, even as he lost his mortal life, he modeled how we might touch the eternal by directing our gifts toward virtuous ends.
In the end, our truest, most unshakable wealth is found within - in our capacity for reason, compassion, wonder and worthy action. And that, Boethius assures us, is a fortune that can never be taken away.