HYPATIA: Genius and Martyr
You’ve heard the one about the Greek woman philosopher torn to pieces by Christians right? Well there was more to Hypatia than just her terrible death!
Hypatia, born around the year 355 CE was not just the earliest and only woman mathematician and astronomer of the ancient world - she was the world’s leading mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher of Alexandria.
Her father Theon of Alexandria was a mathematician and astronomer - last member of library of Alexandria. Hypatia’s goal was to continue and preserve her fathers work. She became a great teacher and counsellor, and was known for her religious tolerance - teaching Christians and ‘pagans’ alike.
Her beliefs were considered pagan at a turbulent time of religious conflict. But
She was widely admired by men for her knowledge and virtue, and indeed she bucked patriarchal expectations by remaining a virgin throughout her life. This fascinating anecdote by one of her contemporaries , Damascius, recalls what happened when one young man tried to court her:
“…when one of the men who came to her lectures tried to court her, she tried to soothe his lust by playing the lyre. When he refused to abandon his pursuit, she rejected him outright, displaying her bloody menstrual rags and declaring "This is what you really love, my young man, but you do not love beauty for its own sake.”
(Hypatia of Alexandria: Mathematician and Martyr, Michael Deakin, 2010)
J.M Gaspard 1908
Apparently the young man was so traumatized that he abandoned his desires for her immediately! It is hard to know whether this actually happened or is an exaggeration of the actual events, but given that Hypatia was quite confident asserting herself around men, I wouldn’t be surprised!
Because of her tolerance for all creeds and her wise counsel, Hypatia gained much political influence among the elites and was a confidante for the leaders of the time - something that no other woman had achieved back then. But with power comes danger, especially if youre a woman! It wasn’t long before she was dragged into the political and religious turmoil of the time, and accused of satanic practises, among other ‘crimes’. An Egyptian Coptic bishop John of Nikiû wrote that she:
“…beguiled many people through her Satanic wiles. And the governor of the city honoured her exceedingly; for she had beguiled him through her magic…”
These vicious rumours were likely started by the man who was to become the orchestrator of her demise: Cyril, the Christian Bishop of Alexandria, who was at odds with his rival Governor Orestes. Orestes was an ally and close friend of Hypatia, whose neoplatonic teachings were different to the ideas of the ‘new religion’ (Christianity). The rumour mill started that Hypatia was dripping poison into Orestes’s ear and influencing how he governed Alexandria, as well as turning him against Cyril and Christianity. The crowd got fired up, and…well, we know what happened next.
Death of Hypatia (Alexis Clerk, 19th century, Bridgeman)
As with all witch hunts throughout history, Hypatia suffered a particularly brutal death. In March 415, as she was riding in her carriage through the city, she was dragged out by a Christian Lynch mob and taken to a church where she was stripped, beaten to death, torn to pieces and then set on fire.
There were attempts, after her assassination, to avenge Hypatia by limiting Cyril’s powers, but he ultimately gained full control of Alexandria, sadly. Hypatia’s murderers were also never brought to justice as there was never definitive evidence linking Cyril or his followers to the murder. Even more tragically, Hypatia’s legacy of tolerance towards all creeds and belief systems was lost after her death, because anti-christian sentiment amongst Pagan adherents rose to an all time high.
Worse still, over the centuries that followed, Hypatia’s murder was used and abused to support various religious and political ideals - such as anti catholic sentiment in the 18th century.
Hypatia, Charles Mitchell 1885
The obsession by male writers, thinkers and historians on who killed Hypatia and why, and not on Hypatia herself and what she achieved, reminds me of the way women are routinely invisibilised and reduced to ‘bodies’, especially when they’re dead! Take the Whitechapel murders of the 1880’s; the focus is usually on “Jack the Ripper” and what he did to his victims, not on the lives and identities of the women themselves - who they were before they were ripped to shreds. Theres almost a macabre fascination with women’s mutilated, naked flesh - the more gruesome their demise - the more obsessed we become. We can see how Hypatia has been ‘eroticised’ in the 19th century art and plays that depict her. Typical story!
But, on the more positive side, Hypatia has at least become a feminist icon and inspiration to many. Here in the UK, the Hypatia Trust maintains a library and archive of feminine literary, artistic and scientific work.
Who shall I profile next? Answers in the comments!
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