If first you rid yourself of hope and fear
You have dismayed the tyrant's wrath:
But whosoever quakes in fear or hope,
Drifting and losing his mastery,
Has cast away his shield, has left his place,
And binds the chain with which he will be bound.
• Poem IV, lines 13-18
You have dismayed the tyrant's wrath:
But whosoever quakes in fear or hope,
Drifting and losing his mastery,
Has cast away his shield, has left his place,
And binds the chain with which he will be bound.
• Poem IV, lines 13-18
“
Nec speres aliquid nec extimescas,
exarmaueris impotentis iram;
at quisquis trepidus pauet uel optat,
quod non sit stabilis suique iuris,
abiecit clipeum locoque motus
nectit qua ualeat trahi catenam.
— Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Nec speres aliquid nec extimescas,
exarmaueris impotentis iram;
at quisquis trepidus pauet uel optat,
quod non sit stabilis suique iuris,
abiecit clipeum locoque motus
nectit qua ualeat trahi catenam." in the context of "If first you rid yourself of hope and fear
You have dismayed the tyrant's wrath:
But whosoever quakes in fear or hope,
Drifting and losing his mastery,
Has cast away his shield, has left his place,
And binds the chain with which he will be bound.
• Poem IV, lines 13-18" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius" (Quotes, The Consolation of Philosophy · De Consolatione Philosophiae, Book I)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius
Ancius Manlius Severinus Boethius (c. 480–524 CE) was a Roman Christian philosopher, poet, and politician.
About Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius
Ancius Manlius Severinus Boethius (c. 480–524 CE) was a Roman Christian philosopher, poet, and politician.
View all quotes →