Son of the philosopher Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius^[1] and of Rusticiana (his aunts were Galla and Proba), Boethius was the brother of Symmachus, with whom he shared the consulate,^[2] chosen by the Ostrogothic court.

His father fell into disgrace with the Ostrogothic ruler and had his own property confiscated; at the death of king Theodoric the Great (526), these properties were given back to Boethius and Symmachus.^[3] Boethius is known to have served as praetorian prefect of Byzantine North Africa from 560 to 561.^[4]

John R.C. Martyn suggests that Boethius had three children:^[4]

Boethius, who is known to be Primate of Byzacena in North Africa;
Symmachus, a patrician, who was still alive in February 601;
Rusticiana, a correspondent of Pope Gregory the Great and patron of the Catholic church in Rome; her daughter Eusebia married into the Apion family of Byzantine Egypt, and Eusebia's son was Strategius Apion.

Life

Notes

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