Francisco de Castilla, Boethius and the Search for True Happiness

Abstract

Francisco de Castilla published his treatise on the virtues, Teórica de virtudes, in 1518. The influence of Boethius' most famous work, De consolatione philosophiae, on medieval literature and imagery is well known. The connection of the four poems in Teórica to Boethius has not been studied. This lack of attention may be due solely to an ignorance of Castilla's poetic output. Castilla's case is noteworthy because he mentions Boethius by name several times, recreates De consolatione philosophiae in “Diálogo entre la Miseria humana y el Consuelo” and includes Lady Philosophy as a character in “Inquisición de la felicidad.” This work investigates the relationship between De consolatione and Teórica and how Castilla learns to express the finding of true happiness in Boethian terms.