Epigram by Symmachus
Boethius! model of all weal and worth,Unjustly from thy country driven forth,Thy fame, unfamed at last, yet one shall praise,One voice the cry of approbation raise;What life denied, through death kind heaven giveth;Thine honour in thy wife's for ever liveth.
Palatini canes.Papinianus.Parmenides.Parthiaus.Paulinus.Paulus, see Aemilius Paulus.Pelagius.Perses.persona.Person defined.Pharaoh.Philosophy,appearance of;character;function;power.Phoebe.Phoebus.physics.Plato,and Boethius;and S. Thomas;and the Academy;his muse;Reminiscence;quoted or referred to, Gorg.;Tim;Meno;Phaedo;Rep.Plotinus.Plurality.Pluto.Polyphemus.Porch.porisma.Porphyry.praetorship.praevidence.predicaments, see categories.Providence.Ptolemy.purgation.Pythagoras.
Sabellians.Sackville, Thomas.sacrilegium.saints.Saturn.Saul.scripture.sempiternitas.senate.Seneca.Simon.Sinai.Sirius.Socrates.Son, the, see Trinity.Soranus.Spartianus.Spirit, Holy, see Trinity,procession of;a substance.statue of Achilles.Stoics.Stymphalian birds.subsisistentia, subsistere.substance, divine.substantia, substare.Suetonius.sun, see Phoebus.Symmachus, Q. Aurel.,Q. Aur. Memmius;Boethius;Pope.Syrtes.
Tacitus.Tantalus.Tertullian.Testament, Old and New.Theodoric.Theology.Thomas, St.Thorie, J.Thrace.Thule.Tigris.Timaeus, see Plato.Tiresias.Tityus.triangie.Triguilla.Trinity,the unity of;cannot be substantially predicated of God.
UEL = et.Verona.Vesuvius.uia media.Virgil.uirtus.
Will, see free-will.Wulf, H. de.
Words in this poem
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- approbation n.
- Proof; attestation. [L. approbatio: cf. F. approbation. See Approve to prove.]
- honour n.
- Esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation; respect; consideration; reverence; veneration; manifestation of respect or reverence. [OE. honor, honour, onour, onur, OF. honor, onor, honur, onur, honour, onour, F. honneur, fr. L. honor, honos.]
- pharaoh n.
- A title by which the sovereigns of ancient Egypt were designated. [Heb. paroh; of Egyptian origin: cf. L. pharao, Gr. Faro.]
- phoebe n.
- The pewee, or pewit.
- phoebus n.
- Apollo; the sun god.
- reminiscence n.
- The act or power of recalling past experience; the state of being reminiscent; remembrance; memory. [F. réminiscence, L. reminiscentia.]
- purgation n.
- The act of purging; the act of clearing, cleansing, or putifying, by separating and carrying off impurities, or whatever is superfluous; the evacuation of the bowels. [L. purgatio: cf. F. purgation. See Purge.]
- sirius n.
- The Dog Star. See Dog Star.
- substantially adv.
- In a substantial manner; in substance; essentially.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Epigram by Symmachus is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Theological Tractates and The Consolation of Philosophy, Project Gutenberg ebook #13316; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Boethius, Epigram by Symmachus, in The Consolation of Philosophy (1918), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #13316, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/boethius-consolation/epigram-by-symmachus.html, id L23734.
Form and metre
Epigram by Symmachus is 110 lines in 6 stanzas. The metre is trochaic dimeter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 81%).
See other poems in trochaic dimeter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 A-BBAA worthA · forth · praiseB · raiseB · givethA · livethA
- 2 -A--A-------------------------B--B----C-C--- canes · papinianusA · parmenides · parthiaus · paulinusA · paulus · pelagius · perses · persona · defined · pharaoh · philosophy · of · character · function · power · phoebe · phoebus · physics · plato · boethius · thomas · academy · muse · reminiscence · gorg · tim · meno · phaedo · rep · plotinusB · plurality · pluto · polyphemusB · porch · porisma · porphyry · praetorship · praevidenceC · categories · providenceC · ptolemy · purgation · pythagoras
- 3 ---------------AA---------B--BB-- sabellians · thomas · sacrilegium · saints · saturn · saul · scripture · sempiternitas · senate · seneca · simon · sinai · sirius · socrates · trinity · soranusA · spartianusA · trinity · of · substance · achilles · stoics · birds · subsistere · divine · substare · suetoniusB · phoebus · aurel · memmiusB · boethiusB · pope · syrtes
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against trochaic dimeter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Boethius! model of all weal and worth, | 9 | ··/˘····· |
| Unjustly from thy country driven forth, | 10 | ˘/˘··/˘/˘· |
| Thy fame, unfamed at last, yet one shall praise, | 10 | ·········· |
| One voice the cry of approbation raise; | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| What life denied, through death kind heaven giveth; | 11 | ··˘/···/˘/˘ |
| Thine honour in thy wife's for ever liveth. | 10 | ·/˘····/·· |
| Palatini canes. | 5 | ····· |
| Papinianus. | 4 | ···· |
| Parmenides. | 3 | ··· |
| Parthiaus. | 2 | ·· |
| Paulinus. | 3 | ··· |
| Paulus, see Aemilius Paulus. | 8 | /˘····/˘ |
| Pelagius. | 3 | ··· |
| Perses. | 2 | /˘ |
| persona. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| Person defined. | 4 | /˘˘/ |
| Pharaoh. | 2 | /˘ |
| Philosophy, | 4 | ˘/˘˘ |
| appearance of; | 4 | ˘/˘· |
| character; | 3 | /˘˘ |
| function; | 2 | /˘ |
| power. | 2 | /˘ |
| Phoebe. | 2 | /˘ |
| Phoebus. | 2 | /˘ |
| physics. | 2 | /˘ |
| Plato, | 2 | /˘ |
| and Boethius; | 3 | ··· |
| and S. Thomas; | 4 | ··/˘ |
| and the Academy; | 6 | ··˘/˘˘ |
| his muse; | 2 | ·· |
| Reminiscence; | 4 | ·˘/˘ |
| quoted or referred to, Gorg.; | 7 | /˘·˘/·· |
| Tim; | 1 | · |
| Meno; | 2 | /˘ |
| Phaedo; | 2 | ·· |
| Rep. | 1 | · |
| Plotinus. | 3 | ··· |
| Plurality. | 4 | ˘/˘˘ |
| Pluto. | 2 | /˘ |
| Polyphemus. | 4 | ···· |
| Porch. | 1 | · |
| porisma. | 3 | ··· |
| Porphyry. | 3 | /˘˘ |
| praetorship. | 3 | ··· |
| praevidence. | 3 | ··· |
| predicaments, see categories. | 9 | ˘/˘˘·/˘·˘ |
| Providence. | 3 | /˘˘ |
| Ptolemy. | 3 | /˘˘ |
| purgation. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| Pythagoras. | 4 | ···· |
| Sabellians. | 3 | ··· |
| Sackville, Thomas. | 4 | /·/˘ |
| sacrilegium. | 4 | ···· |
| saints. | 1 | · |
| Saturn. | 2 | /˘ |
| Saul. | 1 | · |
| scripture. | 2 | /˘ |
| sempiternitas. | 5 | ····· |
| senate. | 2 | /˘ |
| Seneca. | 3 | /˘˘ |
| Simon. | 2 | /˘ |
| Sinai. | 2 | /· |
| Sirius. | 3 | /˘˘ |
| Socrates. | 3 | /˘· |
| Son, the, see Trinity. | 6 | ···/˘˘ |
| Soranus. | 3 | ··· |
| Spartianus. | 3 | ··· |
| Spirit, Holy, see Trinity, | 8 | /˘/˘·/˘˘ |
| procession of; | 4 | ˘/˘· |
| a substance. | 3 | ·/˘ |
| statue of Achilles. | 6 | /··˘/˘ |
| Stoics. | 2 | /˘ |
| Stymphalian birds. | 4 | ···· |
| subsisistentia, subsistere. | 8 | ········ |
| substance, divine. | 4 | /˘˘/ |
| substantia, substare. | 5 | ····· |
| Suetonius. | 3 | ··· |
| sun, see Phoebus. | 4 | ··/˘ |
| Symmachus, Q. Aurel., | 6 | ······ |
| Q. Aur. Memmius; | 4 | ···· |
| Boethius; | 2 | ·· |
| Pope. | 1 | · |
| Syrtes. | 1 | · |
| Tacitus. | 3 | ··· |
| Tantalus. | 3 | /˘˘ |
| Tertullian. | 3 | ··· |
| Testament, Old and New. | 6 | /˘˘··· |
| Theodoric. | 3 | ··· |
| Theology. | 4 | ˘/˘˘ |
| Thomas, St. | 3 | /˘· |
| Thorie, J. | 3 | ··· |
| Thrace. | 1 | · |
| Thule. | 2 | /˘ |
| Tigris. | 2 | /˘ |
| Timaeus, see Plato. | 5 | ···/˘ |
| Tiresias. | 3 | ··· |
| Tityus. | 2 | ·· |
| triangie. | 2 | ·· |
| Triguilla. | 3 | ··· |
| Trinity, | 3 | /˘˘ |
| the unity of; | 5 | ·/˘˘· |
| cannot be substantially predicated of God. | 12 | /˘·˘/˘/˘·˘·· |
| UEL = et. | 2 | ·· |
| Verona. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| Vesuvius. | 4 | ˘/˘˘ |
| uia media. | 4 | ·/˘˘ |
| Virgil. | 2 | /˘ |
| uirtus. | 2 | ·· |
| Will, see free-will. | 4 | ···· |
| Wulf, H. de. | 3 | ··· |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.