Anicius Manlius Severinus Bo禱thius, commonly called Boethius (480-524/525 AD) was a philosopher of the early 6th century. Boethius, of the noble Anicia family, entered public life at a young age and was already a senator by the age of 25. He was imprisoned and eventually executed by King Theodoric the Great, who suspected him of conspiring with the Eastern Roman Empire. While jailed, Boethius composed his Consolation of Philosophy, a philosophical treatise on fortune, death, and other issues. The Consolation became one of the most popular and influential works of the Middle Ages.