The Consolation of Philosophy · Character
Symmachus
Boethius's father-in-law, a respected Roman senator and philosopher.
minor
First appearance: book i the sorrows of boethius
Symmachus's tie to Boethius is one of the pressures that moves The Consolation of Philosophy—worth meeting in the text, not only on a cast list.
Boethius's guardian and father-in-law, a man of saintly character who raised him after his parents died.
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With Boethius (family): Symmachus is Boethius's father-in-law and a respected Roman senator, with whom he shared close familial and political bonds. In Proem: Boethius's guardian and father-in-law, a man of saintly…
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See Symmachus in book i the sorrows of boethiusCharacter Web
2 connectionsA slice of how Symmachus sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Family
- Other
Character groups
- Aristotle, Bootes, Cicero, Decoratus, Hesper, Jowett, Nero, Philosophy, Phoebus, Plato, Polyphemus, Seneca, Symmachus, Theodoric
- Protagonist
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Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story’s dramatic climax because the narrator reaches an emotional and psychological peak of anguis…
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Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Boethius
family · positive
Symmachus is Boethius's father-in-law and a respected Roman senator, with whom he shared… How this plays out →
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Symmachus in book i the sorrows of boethiusIn the story
Symmachus appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
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See Symmachus in book i the sorrows of boethius