1 Recognition: Only in Death

Recognition: Only in Death

Hypatia of Alexandria

by Marco Maria Garcia de los Angeles

Submitted To:

Teacher Zach Hontiveros Pagkalinawan

2 Recognition: Only in Death

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 3

CHAPTER 1: THE PROFESSOR’S CHILD ...................................................................... 4

CHAPTER 2: RESPECT IN KNOWLEDGE ...................................................................... 5

CHAPTER 3: LOVE OVER BELIEFS ............................................................................. 6

CHAPTER 4: UNDOCUMENTED SUCCESS STORY......................................................... 6

CHAPTER 5: BIRTH OF A PHILOSOPHER ..................................................................... 8

CHAPTER 6: IT TOOK DEATH… ............................................................................... 9

CHAPTER 7: DEPICTION ......................................................................................... 9

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................10

3 Recognition: Only in Death

INTRODUCTION

“To rule by fettering the mind through fear of punishment in another world, is just

as base as to use force... Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is

better than not to think at all.”

― Hypatia

This quote by Hypatia accurately embodies the world views that she was

able to impart onto others right after her death. Although she did gain adequate

attention during her life, it was very much hindered by her gender along with her

already controversial (at the time) philosophical and religious beliefs. It was only

after her death when a significant

amount of people finally recognized

her as an influential philosophical

figure and began acknowledging

her teachings and accomplishments

despite her inherent disadvantages.

These feats have always held

noteworthy characteristics, but they

were always neglected by others

when she was alive. It took a very

brutal assassination for people to

recognize the contributions she had

made for education and free-

thinking. Through them, she became

a symbol of inspiration for those

fighting for religious freedom for

centuries to come.

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CHAPTER 1: THE PROFESSOR’S CHILD

The exact year when Hypatia

(daughter of Theon of Alexandria) was born is

still contested among historians, but the

general consensus is that it must have been

somewhere within the timeframe of 350-370

CE in Alexandria, Egypt when it was still a part

of the Eastern Roman Empire. During this era,

Alexandria was host to constant civil wars between Christians, Jews, and pagans.

It was a time of religious strife between the classical age of philosophy and the

newly established Christian beliefs, and temple and scroll burnings were

frequently conducted. One had to be careful about what one said, for it could

easily be misinterpreted as taking sides in the power struggle.

Unlike most fathers during

that era, who would impose the

traditional role assigned to women

onto their daughters, Theon raised

Hypatia as one would have raised a

son in the Greek tradition. This

means that he would have taught

her his own trade, and because of

his position as a famous scholar and professor of mathematics at the University of

Alexandria, and a well-known mathematician and astronomer in his own right,

Hypatia developed a natural curiosity and a passion for knowledge and

education.

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Because of her upbringing, she

grew to consider free-thinking itself as a

metric of great value. It is through this

when she herself became interested in

mathematics and the sciences

(astronomy and astrology), and so it was

inevitable that her education took place

under the guidance and instruction of

her father. Theon was obsessed about creating the perfect human being, so

besides pushing her academically, he also made sure that Hypatia was in top

physical condition by having her participate in various physical activities such as

rowing, swimming, and horseback riding to keep her fit. He also trained her in

speech so she may be able to share her knowledge with others more efficiently.

CHAPTER 2: RESPECT IN KNOWLEDGE

Through her love for learning and strong work ethic, she became one of

the first women to study and teach mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy. In

time, she became the world’s leading mathematician and astronomer of the era,

and around 400 CE, like her father she eventually

began teaching in the University of Alexandria as well,

particularly on the subjects of mathematics and

philosophy. There, she conducted lectures on previous

Greek philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle, and

people from all over the Mediterranean willingly came

under her tutelage, including the Roman elite, politicians, and other government

officials. In time, many regarded her as the embodiment of learning and science.

Throughout the rest of her life, she became a well-respected and charismatic

teacher and lecturer, which was unheard of for a woman at the time.

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CHAPTER 3: LOVE OVER BELIEFS

Hypatia herself subscribed to the philosophy of Neoplatonism, a belief

system based on the teachings of Plotinus. This particular ideology suggests that

everything originates from the One, a separate ultimate reality from our own

described to be beyond people’s comprehension, and she attempted to explain

this to her students using scientific thought.

Because of her work’s inherent contradictions to Christian beliefs, early

Christians quickly labeled her as a pagan. However, this did not stop her from

welcoming everyone into her school

regardless of their religious beliefs. She

herself did not carry any ill will against

Christianity, and with this, she was able to

establish friendly relations with many

prominent Christians while still being

loved by the pagan society at the time.

CHAPTER 4: UNDOCUMENTED SUCCESS STORY

Although she may not have been the first female mathematician, she is

the earliest whose life and work had been reasonably well recorded that some

information regarding them still survives to this day. Unfortunately, none of

Hypatia’s original philosophical works have survived except for their titles and

some references to them. However, the contributions she had made through her

work in mathematics and astronomy were unrivaled during her time. Well known

advancements of hers include the construction of astrolabes (devices for

studying astronomy) and hydrometers.

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Aside from this, she is well known

to have collaborated with her father,

Theon of Alexandria, in his eleven part

commentary on Ptolemy’s Almagest.

Some actually say that Book III of

Theon’s version of the Almagest was all

written by her. She is also said to have

assisted him in the preservation of

Euclid’s Elements. As for her own writings, she is credited to have written

commentaries on Apollonius of Perga’s

Conics (geometry), Diophantus of

Alexandria’s Arithmetica (number

theory), and on Ptolemy’s astronomical

works.

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CHAPTER 5: BIRTH OF A PHILOSOPHER

In 412 CE, Hypatia’s growing fame and influence eventually gained the

attention of the bishop of Alexandria, Cyril. He had grown frustrated by her

growing popularity, and on top of this, she was associated with a known political

rival of his: the Roman prefect of Egypt, Orestes. Rumors began spreading that

she was preventing Orestes and Cyril from settling their differences. Eventually the

rising tensions along with the prejudice against her non-Christian philosophical

teachings made her a target for assassination.

The parabalani, a fanatical sect of Christian monks who were supporters of

Cyril, accused Hypatia of sorcery, and in 415 or 416 CE, the group took it upon

themselves to brutally murder her. While she was on her chariot, the mob pulled

the elderly teacher as she was riding

through the city and dragged her into a

church. There they stripped her naked

and beat her to death. Afterwards, her

limbs were pulled off from her body and

paraded through the streets before being

burned. Cyril’s involvement in her death

was never proven.

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CHAPTER 6: IT TOOK DEATH…

Today, Hypatia is more widely known for her death than the work she had

accomplished throughout her life. Because of it, she became a martyr to pagans

and a symbol of opposition to Christianity for many centuries to come. She also

became an inspiration to all free-thinking endeavors being hindered by

ignorance and prejudice. In modern times, she is seen as “an icon for women’s

rights and a precursor to the feminist movement” due to the advancements she

had made in fields that were, at the time, heavily male-centered.

CHAPTER 7: DEPICTION

As a person, Hypatia is depicted by many as a particularly generous person and

a lifelong learner. She was widely welcoming to everyone, even to those who did not

coincide with her philosophical or religious beliefs, which was uncommon during the era

when which she lived in. As for her appearance, the only existing physical description of

her is an unclear passage from Greek Neoplatonist philosopher Damaskios of Athens,

whose birth proceeded Hypatia death for nearly half a century. In his writings, she is

regarded as being “exceedingly beautiful and fair of form”, and is often depicted

wearing a “tribon, a kind of cloak associated with the Cynics”. Being from Egypt, she is

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widely accepted by members of modern society to have actually had dark skin, which

is a contradiction to the traditional depictions of her having fair skin.

REFERENCES

Deakin, M. (2020, February 26). Hypatia. Retrieved September 12, 2020, from

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hypatia

Fiorio, S. F. (2019, January 16). The Killing of Hypatia: Soraya Field Fiorio. Retrieved

September 12, 2020, from https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/killing-hypatia

Mark, J. J. (2009, September 2). Hypatia of Alexandria. Retrieved September 12, 2020,

from https://www.ancient.eu/Hypatia_of_Alexandria/

McDaniel, S. (2019, October 14). Was Hypatia of Alexandria Black? Retrieved

September 13, 2020, from https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2019/10/14/was-hypatia-

of-alexandria-black/

Mercer, M. (n.d.). Hypatia. Retrieved September 12, 2020, from

http://www.math.wichita.edu/history/Women/hypatia.html

O'Connor, J. J., & Robertson, E. F. (1999, April). Hypatia - Biography. Retrieved

September 12, 2020, from https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Hypatia/

Wikipedia. (2020, September 10). Hypatia. Retrieved September 12, 2020, from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypatia

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Zielinski, S. (2010, March 14). Hypatia, Ancient Alexandria's Great Female Scholar.

Retrieved September 12, 2020, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/hypatia-

ancient-alexandrias-great-female-scholar-10942888/