"The Greeks call me Sophia, the Latins Sapientia. The Egyptians and Chaldeans discovered me, the Greeks wrote me down, The Latins translated me, the Germans expanded me."
"Whatever the heaven holds, whatever the earth, the air, and the sea, Whatever can exist in human affairs, And God in the whole world, whatever the fiery sphere creates, I, Philosophy, carry it all within my breast."
"God has given me to know the ways of all things that are... and I have learned both what is secret and what is manifest. All signs are said to belong to Philosophy..." "In their intent, these and the others... And they place themselves even unto the center of the earth. All that remains, they divine up to the eighth sphere. Aristotle explained: his mind was fixed upon invisible things, knowing through invisible senses. It is clearly known... and Seneca the moralist took it clearly. Of ours, they made and knew that beautiful birth, which is the science called of the seven philosophers, showing both the natural and mathematical arts." — Canzone delle virtu e delle scienze, c. 1339-1349, Chantilly. Bibliothèque et Archives du Château, Ms. 599 “This sense of wonder is the mark of the philosopher. Philosophy indeed has no other origin.” — Plato, Theaetetus, 155d “For it is owing to their wonder that men both now begin and at first began to philosophize.” — Aristotle, Metaphysics, Book I, 982b. “Philosophy teaches us to act, not to speak.” — Seneca, Moral Letters to Lucilius, Letter 20. “What then can guide a man? One thing and only one, philosophy.” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book II, 17 “Philosophy is the culture of the mind.” — Cicero, Tusculan Disputations, Book II. “Let no one when young delay to study philosophy, nor when he is old grow weary of his study.” — Epicurus, Letter to Menoeceus
![Philosophia nurishing the Seven Liberal Arts [Austria, Salzburg, MS M.982v] mid 12th century.](https://images.spr.so/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/j42No7y-dcokJuNgXeA0ig/b6f4844d-9209-4e81-ad0f-1a62a25538d5/philosophia_nurishing_the_seven_liberal_arts_austria_salzburg_ms_m.982v_mid_12th_century._/w=1920,quality=90,fit=scale-down)
![Philosophia, the rungs of her ladder here being the Seven Liberal Arts [Leipzig University Library bibl. lat 1253 f3r] ca 1230](https://images.spr.so/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/j42No7y-dcokJuNgXeA0ig/487a97f4-cf1d-4d67-b1a6-fe5e02e6dc1f/philosophia_the_rungs_of_her_ladder_here_being_the_seven_liberal_arts_leipzig_university_library_bibl._lat_1253_f3r_ca_1230_/w=1920,quality=90,fit=scale-down)
Lady Philosophy
"Lady Philosophy plays an exceptionally important role in this work. She diagnoses the disease from which Boethius suffers; that of turning to ‘false goods’ such as material goods. She then proposes the means of deliverance from this affliction; that of turning towards the true good. The true good is a love of wisdom, reminiscent of the Socratic and Platonic argument that the good we truly seek is Truth and all other goods are in service to this one true good, or derivatives of it. The personification of Lady Philosophy as a woman is interesting. Lady Philosophy is a healer and a nurturer – but not in a soft or passive manner. If we recall that Philo-sophia literally means ‘the Love of Wisdom’ and that the Ancient Greek word for wisdom here is the word ‘sophia’ – which is feminine – we see the idea that perhaps wisdom is akin to the intuition. This intuition of the mind would usually be understood as our rational intellect. This wisdom, then, is something internal that one may turn to when seeking truth." - Laura D'Olimpio Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Notre Dame Australia
"My name is called the highest wisdom, And I dwell in the highest light. The world has its bright radiance Because of the clear sunlight. So, too, my beautiful light shines In the human heart and pure mind, And whoever wants to reach heaven Must love me earnestly. Those who desire wisdom Will find it in my teaching, Because the fear of God Is the beginning of wisdom.
In Persia, I was first found, Called Philosophy by name. King Cyrus, and the wise Buddha, Were well-versed in my doctrine. The Greeks and the wise Thales, Pythagoras, who knew much, Socrates and the wise Plato, Who had many students, These men pursued my art diligently, And Aristotle became my disciple. Seneca and Cicero, too, They practiced my art well. This art is pure and high, And whoever learns it will be beautiful."
Allegory of Philosophy
Allegory of Philosophy (or Philosophia regina), was created by Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) and sh
“The Greeks call me Sophia, the Latins/Romans call me Sapientia (Wisdom). The Egyptians and Chaldeans invented/discovered me, the Greeks wrote me down, the Latins translated/transmitted me, and the Germans expanded/amplified me. Whatever the sky contains, whatever the earth, the air and the sea contain, whatever exists in human affairs and can exist, and whatever the fiery god makes in the whole world — I, Philosophy, carry all of this in my breast.”
Sophiam me Greci vocant Latini Sapientiam Egipcii & Chaldei me invenere Greci scripsere Latini transtulere Germani ampliavere Quicquid habet Coelum quid Terra quid Aer & aequor Quicquid in humanis Rebus & esse potest Et deus in toto quicquid facit igneus orbe Philosophia meo pectore cuncta gero
The original Latin verses were composed by the German Renaissance humanist Conrad Celtis (also spelled Konrad Celtis or Celtes, 1459–1508). They form part of the frontispiece or dedicatory illustration in his book:
Quatuor Libri Amorum secundum quatuor latera Germanie (Four Books of Love According to the Four Sides of Germany), Nuremberg, 1502.
The woodcut, commonly known as the Allegory of Philosophy (or Philosophia regina), was created by Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) and shows Philosophy enthroned, surrounded by medallions of wise figures representing the transmission of learning (translatio studii) from antiquity to Germany (including Ptolemy, Plato, Cicero/Virgil, and Albertus Magnus).
Library of Light Edition 1.0 — Last revised: July 2026