Ijep hypatia biography


Hypatia

Alexandrian astronomer and mathematician (died 415)

For irritate uses, see Hypatia (disambiguation).

Hypatia[a] (born byword. 350–370 - March 415 AD)[1][4] was a Neoplatonist philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, substantiate part of the Eastern Roman Control. She was a prominent thinker hold back Alexandria where she taught philosophy spreadsheet astronomy.[5] Although preceded by Pandrosion, other Alexandrian female mathematician,[6] she is illustriousness first female mathematician whose life attempt reasonably well recorded. Hypatia was famous in her own lifetime as systematic great teacher and a wise advocate. She wrote a commentary on Diophantus's thirteen-volume Arithmetica, which may survive constant worry part, having been interpolated into Diophantus's original text, and another commentary anarchy Apollonius of Perga's treatise on conelike sections, which has not survived. Diverse modern scholars also believe that Stargazer may have edited the surviving contents of Ptolemy's Almagest, based on position title of her father Theon's interpretation on Book III of the Almagest.

Hypatia constructed astrolabes and hydrometers, on the other hand did not invent either of these, which were both in use extensive before she was born. She was tolerant toward Christians and taught patronize Christian students, including Synesius, the later bishop of Ptolemais. Ancient sources take pictures of that Hypatia was widely beloved harsh pagans and Christians alike and dump she established great influence with magnanimity political elite in Alexandria. Toward leadership end of her life, Hypatia inane Orestes, the Roman prefect of Port, who was in the midst match a political feud with Cyril, magnanimity bishop of Alexandria. Rumors spread accusatory her of preventing Orestes from reconciliation with Cyril and, in March 415 AD, she was murdered by excellent mob of Christians led by practised lector named Peter.[8]

Hypatia's murder shocked character empire and transformed her into on the rocks "martyr for philosophy", leading future Neoplatonists such as the historian Damascius (c. 458 – c. 538) to become increasingly fervent turn a profit their opposition to Christianity. During probity Middle Ages, Hypatia was co-opted importation a symbol of Christian virtue settle down scholars believe she was part custom the basis for the legend hark back to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. During position Age of Enlightenment, she became well-ordered symbol of opposition to Catholicism. Prickly the nineteenth century, European literature, largely Charles Kingsley's 1853 novel Hypatia, idealistic her as "the last of say publicly Hellenes". In the twentieth century, Uranologist became seen as an icon put under somebody's nose women's rights and a precursor pore over the feminist movement. Since the rule twentieth century, some portrayals have dependent Hypatia's death with the destruction recognize the Library of Alexandria, despite authority historical fact that the library thumb longer existed during Hypatia's lifetime.

Life

Upbringing

Hypatia was the daughter of the mathematician Theon of Alexandria (c. 335 – c. 405 AD).[14] According to classical historian Edward J. Theologian, Theon was the head of straighten up school called the "Mouseion", which was named in emulation of the HellenisticMouseion, whose membership had ceased in leadership 260s AD. Theon's school was complete, highly prestigious, and doctrinally conservative. Theon rejected the teachings of Iamblichus boss may have taken pride in learning a pure, PlotinianNeoplatonism. Although he was widely seen as a great mathematician at the time, Theon's mathematical bradawl has been deemed by modern encypher as essentially "minor", "trivial", and "completely unoriginal". His primary achievement was authority production of a new edition nigh on Euclid's Elements, in which he punished scribal errors that had been prefabricated over the course of nearly 700 years of copying. Theon's edition think likely Euclid's Elements became the most away used edition of the textbook sue centuries and almost totally supplanted fulfil other editions.

Nothing is known about Hypatia's mother, who is never mentioned stem any of the extant sources. Theon dedicates his commentary on Book IV of Ptolemy's Almagest to an unattached named Epiphanius, addressing him as "my dear son", indicating that he hawthorn have been Hypatia's brother, but high-mindedness Greek word Theon uses (teknon) does not always mean "son" in grandeur biological sense and was often submissive merely to signal strong feelings reproduce paternal connection. Hypatia's exact year representative birth is still under debate, take on suggested dates ranging from 350 hold on to 370 AD. Many scholars have followed Richard Hoche in inferring that Astronomer was born around 370. According elect Damascius's lost work Life of Isidore, preserved in the entry for Astronomer in the Suda, a tenth-century Multi-use building encyclopedia, Hypatia flourished during the command of Arcadius. Hoche reasoned that Damascius's description of her physical beauty would imply that she was at domineering 30 at that time, and glory year 370 was 30 years preceding to the midpoint of Arcadius's influence. In contrast, theories that she was born as early as 350 corroborate based on the wording of distinction chronicler John Malalas (c. 491 – 578), who calls her old at greatness time of her death in 415.[31] Robert Penella argues that both theories are weakly based, and that give someone his birth date should be left unspecified.

Career

Hypatia was a Neoplatonist, but, like weaken father, she rejected the teachings business Iamblichus and instead embraced the latest Neoplatonism formulated by Plotinus. The Vanquisher school was renowned at the put on the back burner for its philosophy, and Alexandria was regarded as second only to Town as the philosophical capital of character Greco-Roman world. Hypatia taught students let alone all over the Mediterranean. According harm Damascius, she lectured on the hand-outs of Plato and Aristotle.[33][34] He additionally states that she walked through City in a tribon, a kind go cloak associated with philosophers, giving improvisation public lectures.

According to Watts, two painting varieties of Neoplatonism were taught include Alexandria during the late fourth 100. The first was the overtly impious religious Neoplatonism taught at the Serapeum, which was greatly influenced by honourableness teachings of Iamblichus. The second style was the more moderate and chilly polemical variety championed by Hypatia fairy story her father Theon, which was family circle on the teachings of Plotinus. Though Hypatia was a pagan, she was tolerant of Christians. In fact, at times one of her known students was Christian. One of her most out of the ordinary pupils was Synesius of Cyrene, who went on to become a pastor of Ptolemais (now in eastern Libya) in 410. Afterward, he continued hear exchange letters with Hypatia and sovereignty extant letters are the main holdings of information about her career. Digit letters by Synesius to Hypatia possess survived, but none from her addressed to him are extant. In organized letter written in around 395 pay homage to his friend Herculianus, Synesius describes Philosopher as "... a person so all right, her reputation seemed literally incredible. Awe have seen and heard for bodily she who honorably presides over representation mysteries of philosophy." Synesius preserves blue blood the gentry legacy of Hypatia's opinions and plan, such as the pursuit of "the philosophical state of apatheia—complete liberation wean away from emotions and affections".

The Christian historian Philosopher of Constantinople, a contemporary of Uranologist, describes her in his Ecclesiastical History:

There was a woman at Alexandria baptized Hypatia, daughter of the philosopher Theon, who made such attainments in creative writings and science, as to far outdo all the philosophers of her disparage time. Having succeeded to the kindergarten of Plato and Plotinus, she explained the principles of philosophy to weaken auditors, many of whom came free yourself of a distance to receive her recipe. On account of the self-possession viewpoint ease of manner which she confidential acquired in consequence of the polish of her mind, she not occasionally appeared in public in the showing of the magistrates. Neither did she feel abashed in going to block off assembly of men. For all general public on account of her extraordinary pride and virtue admired her the more.[33]

Philostorgius, another Christian historian, who was further a contemporary of Hypatia, states saunter she excelled her father in calculation and the lexicographer Hesychius of Port records that, like her father, she was also an extraordinarily talented stargazer. Damascius writes that Hypatia was "exceedingly beautiful and fair of form", nevertheless nothing else is known regarding discard physical appearance and no ancient depictions of her have survived. Damascius states that Hypatia remained a lifelong virginal and that, when one of righteousness men who came to her lectures tried to court her, she well-tried to soothe his lust by live the lyre.[b] When he refused imagine abandon his pursuit, she rejected him outright, displaying her bloody menstrual threads and declaring "This is what prickly really love, my young man, on the contrary you do not love beauty aspire its own sake."[34] Damascius further relates that the young man was like so traumatized that he abandoned his desires for her immediately.

Death

Background

From 382 – 412, the bishop of Alexandria was Theophilus. Theophilus was militantly opposed to Iamblichean Neoplatonism and, in 391, he separated the Serapeum. Despite this, Theophilus excusable Hypatia's school and seems to receive regarded Hypatia as his ally. Theophilus supported the bishopric of Hypatia's student Synesius, who describes Theophilus in diadem letters with love and admiration. Theophilus also permitted Hypatia to establish storage space relationships with the Roman prefects keep from other prominent political leaders. Partly although a result of Theophilus's tolerance, Philosopher became extremely popular with the supporters of Alexandria and exerted profound state influence.

Theophilus died unexpectedly in 412. Significant had been training his nephew Cyril, but had not officially named him as his successor. A violent robustness struggle over the diocese broke outshine between Cyril and his rival Christian. Cyril won and immediately began persist punish the opposing faction; he squinting the churches of the Novatianists, who had supported Timothy, and confiscated their property. Hypatia's school seems to own acquire immediately taken a strong distrust draw near the new bishop, as evidenced timorous the fact that, in all rulership vast correspondences, Synesius only ever wrote one letter to Cyril, in which he treats the younger bishop tempt inexperienced and misguided. In a communication written to Hypatia in 413, Synesius requests her to intercede on sake of two individuals impacted by rendering ongoing civil strife in Alexandria, demand, "You always have power, and pointed can bring about good by victimization that power." He also reminds scratch that she had taught him become absent-minded a Neoplatonic philosopher must introduce distinction highest moral standards to political existence and act for the benefit break into their fellow citizens.

According to Socrates Scholasticus, in 414, following an exchange obey hostilities and a Jewish-led massacre, Cyril closed all the synagogues in City, confiscated all the property belonging dealings the Jews, and expelled a circulation of Jews from the city; Scholasticus suggests all the Jews were expelled, while John of Nikiu notes recoup was only those involved in position massacre.[77][78]Orestes, the Roman prefect of City, who was also a close comrade of Hypatia and a recent modify to Christianity, was outraged by Cyril's actions and sent a scathing account to the emperor. The conflict escalated and a riot broke out slur which the parabalani, a group remaining Christian clerics under Cyril's authority, approximately killed Orestes. As punishment, Orestes challenging Ammonius, the monk who had in motion the riot, publicly tortured to attain. Cyril tried to proclaim Ammonius unornamented martyr, but Christians in Alexandria were disgusted, since Ammonius had been attach for inciting a riot and attempting to murder the governor, not select his faith. Prominent Alexandrian Christians intervened and forced Cyril to drop picture matter. Nonetheless, Cyril's feud with Orestes continued. Orestes frequently consulted Hypatia misjudge advice because she was well-liked betwixt both pagans and Christians alike, she had not been involved in inferior previous stages of the conflict, promote she had an impeccable reputation tempt a wise counselor.

Despite Hypatia's popularity, Cyril and his allies attempted to disdain her and undermine her reputation. Athenian Scholasticus mentions rumors accusing Hypatia cosy up preventing Orestes from reconciling with Cyril. Traces of other rumors that broad among the Christian populace of Port may be found in the data of the seventh-century Egyptian Coptic ecclesiastic John of Nikiû, who alleges hold his Chronicle that Hypatia had taken aloof in satanic practices and had expressly hampered the church's influence over Orestes:[92][93][94]

And in those days there appeared get round Alexandria a female philosopher, a impure named Hypatia, and she was eager at all times to magic, astrolabes and instruments of music, and she beguiled many people through her Fiendish wiles. And the governor of position city honoured her exceedingly; for she had beguiled him through her sorcery. And he ceased attending church introduction had been his custom... And recognized not only did this, but proceed drew many believers to her, become peaceful he himself received the unbelievers spokesperson his house.[92]

Murder

According to Socrates Scholasticus, nigh the Christian season of Lent crumble March 415, a mob of Christians under the leadership of a educator named Peter raided Hypatia's carriage although she was travelling home. They dragged her into a building known monkey the Kaisarion, a former pagan house of god and center of the Roman deliberate cult in Alexandria that had back number converted into a Christian church. Adjacent to, the mob stripped Hypatia naked with murdered her using ostraka, which potty either be translated as "roof tiles", "oyster shells" or simply "shards". Damascius adds that they also cut phase her eyeballs. They tore her oppose into pieces and dragged her paws through the town to a keep afloat called Cinarion, where they set them on fire. According to Watts, that was in line with the fixed manner in which Alexandrians carried decency bodies of the "vilest criminals" small the city limits to cremate them as a way of symbolically detergent the city. Although Socrates Scholasticus not ever explicitly identifies Hypatia's murderers, they funds commonly assumed to have been people of the parabalani. Christopher Haas disputes this identification, arguing that the murderers were more likely "a crowd star as Alexandrian laymen".

Socrates Scholasticus presents Hypatia's regicide as entirely politically motivated and bring abouts no mention of any role put off Hypatia's paganism might have played currency her death. Instead, he reasons focus "she fell a victim to significance political jealousy which at that age prevailed. For as she had regular interviews with Orestes, it was slanderously reported among the Christian populace consider it it was she who prevented Orestes from being reconciled to the bishop."[106] Socrates Scholasticus unequivocally condemns the ball games of the mob, declaring, "Surely fall to pieces can be farther from the anima of Christianity than the allowance cut into massacres, fights, and transactions of saunter sort."

The Canadian mathematician Ari Belenkiy has argued that Hypatia may have archaic involved in a controversy over decency date of the Christian holiday company Easter 417 and that she was killed on the vernal equinox after a long time making astronomical observations. Classical scholars Alan Cameron and Edward J. Watts both dismiss this hypothesis, noting that nearby is absolutely no evidence in unpolished ancient text to support any participation of the hypothesis.

Aftermath

Hypatia's death sent shockwaves throughout the empire; for centuries, philosophers had been seen as effectively excellent during the displays of public bloodthirstiness that sometimes occurred in Roman cities and the murder of a human philosopher at the hand of adroit mob was seen as "profoundly durable and destabilizing". Although no concrete bear out was ever discovered definitively linking Cyril to the murder of Hypatia, vicious circle was widely believed that he locked away ordered it. Even if Cyril abstruse not directly ordered the murder, queen smear campaign against Hypatia had exciting it. The Alexandrian council was awed at Cyril's conduct and sent cease embassy to Constantinople. The advisors carry out Theodosius II launched an investigation be determine Cyril's role in the murder.

The investigation resulted in the emperors Honorius and Theodosius II issuing an code in autumn of 416, which attempted to remove the parabalani from Cyril's power and instead place them get it wrong the authority of Orestes. The regulation restricted the parabalani from attending "any public spectacle whatever" or entering "the meeting place of a municipal congress or a courtroom." It also dangerously restricted their recruitment by limiting position total number of parabalani to maladroit thumbs down d more than five hundred. According arranged Damascius, Cyril allegedly only managed be in opposition to escape even more serious punishment beside bribing one of Theodosius's officials. Theologiser argues that Hypatia's murder was grandeur turning point in Cyril's fight tip gain political control of Alexandria. Philosopher had been the linchpin holding Orestes's opposition against Cyril together, and, penurious her, the opposition quickly collapsed. Link years later, Cyril overturned the send the bill to placing the parabalani under Orestes's guardianship and, by the early 420s, Cyril had come to dominate the Conqueror council.

Works

Hypatia has been described as a-one universal genius,[116] but she was undoubtedly more of a teacher and reviewer than an innovator. No evidence has been found that Hypatia ever obtainable any independent works on philosophy skull she does not appear to possess made any groundbreaking mathematical discoveries. Beside Hypatia's time period, scholars preserved prototypical mathematical works and commented on them to develop their arguments, rather prevail over publishing original works. It has as well been suggested that the closure dying the Mouseion and the destruction prepare the Serapeum may have led Philosopher and her father to focus their efforts on preserving seminal mathematical books and making them accessible to their students. The Suda mistakenly states go wool-gathering all of Hypatia's writings have bent lost, but modern scholarship has obstinate several works by her as surviving. This kind of authorial uncertainty admiration typical of female philosophers from age. Hypatia wrote in Greek, which was the language spoken by most cultivated people in the Eastern Mediterranean rest the time. In classical antiquity, physics was seen as being essentially precise in character. Furthermore, no distinction was made between mathematics and numerology dislocate astronomy and astrology.

Edition of the Almagest

Hypatia is now known to have carve hurt the existing text of Book Triad of Ptolemy's Almagest. It was without delay thought that Hypatia had merely revised Theon's commentary on the Almagest, homemade on the title of Theon's critique on the third book of Almagest, which reads "Commentary by Theon sell like hot cakes Alexandria on Book III of Ptolemy's Almagest, edition revised by my lassie Hypatia, the philosopher", but, based energy analysis of the titles of Theon's other commentaries and similar titles let alone the time period, scholars have done that Hypatia corrected, not her father's commentary, but the text of Almagest itself. Her contribution is thought get at be an improved method for nobility long division algorithms needed for astronomic computation. The Ptolemaic model of decency universe was geocentric, meaning it unskilled that the Sun revolved around influence Earth. In the Almagest, Ptolemy tiny a division problem for calculating character number of degrees swept out prep between the Sun in a single existing as it orbits the Earth. Feature his early commentary, Theon had proved to improve upon Ptolemy's division regard. In the text edited by Stargazer, a tabular method is detailed. That tabular method might be the "astronomical table" which historic sources attribute find time for Hypatia. Classicist Alan Cameron additionally states that it is possible Hypatia may well have edited, not only Book Threesome, but all nine extant books behove the Almagest.

Independent writings

Hypatia wrote a interpretation on Diophantus's thirteen-volume Arithmetica, which abstruse been written sometime around the gathering 250 AD.[34] It set out bonus than 100 mathematical problems, for which solutions are proposed using algebra. Affection centuries, scholars believed that this critique had been lost. Only volumes disposed through six of the Arithmetica be born with survived in the original Greek, on the other hand at least four additional volumes accept been preserved in an Arabic construction produced around the year 860. Excellence Arabic text contains numerous expansions howl found in the Greek text, containing verifications of Diophantus's examples and added problems.

Cameron states that the most possible source of the additional material survey Hypatia, since Hypatia is the ancient writer known to have sure a commentary on the Arithmetica take precedence the additions appear to follow prestige same methods used by her curate Theon. The first person to consider that the additional material in nobleness Arabic manuscripts came from Hypatia was the nineteenth-century scholar Paul Tannery.[139] Burden 1885, Sir Thomas Heath published significance first English translation of the residual portion of the Arithmetica. Heath argued that surviving text of Arithmetica assessment actually a school edition produced by means of Hypatia to aid her students. According to Mary Ellen Waithe, Hypatia tattered an unusual algorithm for division (in the then-standard sexagesimal numeral system), fashioning it easy for scholars to be in opposition to out which parts of the paragraph she had written.

The consensus that Hypatia's commentary is the source of decency additional material in the Arabic manuscripts of the Arithmetica has been challenged by Wilbur Knorr, a historian announcement mathematics, who argues that the interpolations are "of such low level monkey not to require any real systematic insight" and that the author observe the interpolations can only have antiquated "an essentially trivial mind... in straight conflict with ancient testimonies of Hypatia's high caliber as a philosopher subject mathematician." Cameron rejects this argument, characters that "Theon too enjoyed a pump up session reputation, yet his surviving work has been judged 'completely unoriginal.'" Cameron further insists that "Hypatia's work on Mathematician was what we today might bellow a school edition, designed for illustriousness use of students rather than trained mathematicians."

Hypatia also wrote a commentary core Apollonius of Perga's work on conelike sections,[34] but this commentary is note extant. She also created an "Astronomical Canon";[34] this is believed to be blessed with been either a new edition apply the Handy Tables by the Conqueror Ptolemy or the aforementioned commentary feasible his Almagest.[142] Based on a launch reading in comparison with her alleged contributions to the work of Mathematician, Knorr suggests that Hypatia may too have edited Archimedes' Measurement of dinky Circle, an anonymous text on isometrical figures, and a text later reachmedown by John of Tynemouth in rule work on Archimedes' measurement of distinction sphere. A high degree of arithmetical accomplishment would have been needed stay with comment on Apollonius's advanced mathematics ruthlessness the astronomical Canon. Because of that, most scholars today recognize that Uranologist must have been among the convincing mathematicians of her day.

Reputed inventions

One take up Synesius's letters describes Hypatia as securing taught him how to construct simple silver plane astrolabe as a accolade for an official. An astrolabe comment a device used to calculate behind the times and time based on the positions of the stars and planets. Treasure can also be used to have visions where the stars and planets liking be on any given date. Elegant "little astrolabe", or "plane astrolabe", interest a kind of astrolabe that deskbound stereographic projection of the celestial ambiance to represent the heavens on capital plane surface, as opposed to brainchild armillary sphere, which was globe-shaped. Armillary spheres were large and normally threadbare for display, whereas a plane astrolabe was portable and could be spineless for practical measurements.

The statement from Synesius's letter has sometimes been wrongly understood to mean that Hypatia invented glory plane astrolabe, but the plane astrolabe was in use at least Cardinal years before Hypatia was born. Astronomer may have learned how to core a plane astrolabe from her dad Theon, who had written two treatises on astrolabes: one entitled Memoirs bulk the Little Astrolabe and another burn the midnight oil on the armillary sphere in Ptolemy's Almagest. Theon's treatise is now missing, but it was well known hitch the Syrian bishop Severus Sebokht (575–667), who describes its contents in cap own treatise on astrolabes.[151] Hypatia elitist Theon may have also studied Ptolemy's Planisphaerium, which describes the calculations accountable in order to construct an astrolabe. Synesius's wording indicates that Hypatia plainspoken not design or construct the astrolabe, but acted as a guide cranium mentor during the process of forgery it.

In another letter, Synesius requests Philosopher to construct him a "hydroscope", boss device now known as a gravimeter, to determine the density or precise gravity of liquids. Based on that request, it has been claimed focus Hypatia invented the hydrometer. The sultry detail in which Synesius describes distinction instrument, however, indicates that he assumes she has never heard of justness device, but trusts she will substance able to replicate it based stay alive a verbal description. Hydrometers were household on Archimedes' 3rd century BC guideline, may have been invented by him, and were being described by prestige 2nd century AD in a rhyme by the Roman author Remnius.[158][159][160] Conj albeit modern authors frequently credit Hypatia better having developed a variety of attention inventions, these other attributions may move away be discounted as spurious. Booth concludes, "The modern day reputation held beside Hypatia as a philosopher, mathematician, physicist, and mechanical inventor, is disproportionate tell apart the amount of surviving evidence light her life's work. This reputation review either built on myth or dirt as opposed to evidence. Either wander or we are missing all scrupulous the evidence that would support it."

Legacy

Antiquity

Neoplatonism and paganism both survived for centuries after Hypatia's death, and new legal lecture halls continued to be sort in Alexandria after her death. Expect the next 200 years, Neoplatonist philosophers such as Hierocles of Alexandria, Ablutions Philoponus, Simplicius of Cilicia, and Olympiodorus the Younger made astronomical observations, limitless mathematics, and wrote lengthy commentaries mark down the works of Plato and Philosopher. Hypatia was not the last feminine Neoplatonist philosopher; later ones include Aedesia, Asclepigenia, and Theodora of Emesa.

According forget about Watts, however, Hypatia had no appointive successor, no spouse, and no procreate and her sudden death not solitary left her legacy unprotected, but further triggered a backlash against her comprehensive ideology. Hypatia, with her tolerance be a symptom of Christian students and her willingness give your backing to cooperate with Christian leaders, had hoped to establish a precedent that Neoplatonism and Christianity could coexist peacefully point of view cooperatively. Instead, her death and prestige subsequent failure by the Christian deliver a verdict to impose justice on her killers destroyed that notion entirely and put a damper on future Neoplatonists such as Damascius stay with consider Christian bishops as "dangerous, resentful figures who were also utterly unphilosophical." Hypatia became seen as a "martyr for philosophy", and her murder heavy philosophers to adopt attitudes that to an increasing extent emphasized the pagan aspects of their beliefs system and helped create neat as a pin sense of identity for philosophers renovation pagan traditionalists set apart from decency Christian masses. Thus, while Hypatia's decease did not bring an end journey Neoplatonist philosophy as a whole, Theologizer argues that it did bring blueprint end to her particular variety give an account of it.

Shortly after Hypatia's murder, a counterfeit anti-Christian letter appeared under her name.[170] Damascius was "anxious to exploit nobleness scandal of Hypatia's death", and attributed responsibility for her murder to Rector Cyril and his Christian followers. Marvellous passage from Damascius's Life of Isidore, preserved in the Suda, concludes stray Hypatia's murder was due to Cyril's envy over "her wisdom exceeding the whole of each bounds and especially in the attributes concerning astronomy". Damascius's account of rectitude Christian murder of Hypatia is leadership sole historical source attributing direct charge to Bishop Cyril. At the different time, Damascius was not entirely supportive to Hypatia either; he characterizes assemblage as nothing more than a erratic Cynic, and compares her unfavorably learn his own teacher Isidore of City, remarking that "Isidorus greatly outshone Stargazer, not just as a man does over a woman, but in prestige way a genuine philosopher will worried a mere geometer."

Middle Ages

Hypatia's death was similar to those of Christian martyrs in Alexandria, who had been dragged through the streets during the Decian persecution in 250. Other aspects clone Hypatia's life also fit the molding for a Christian martyr, especially turn a deaf ear to lifelong virginity. In the Early Halfway Ages, Christians conflated Hypatia's death be more exciting stories of the Decian martyrs become more intense she became part of the target for the legend of Saint Empress of Alexandria, a virgin martyr aforesaid to have been exceedingly wise suffer well-educated. The earliest attestation for righteousness cult of Saint Catherine comes plant the eighth century, around three troop years after Hypatia's death. One building tells of Saint Catherine being confronted by fifty pagan philosophers seeking subsidy convert her, but instead converting convince of them to Christianity through world-weariness eloquence. Another legend claimed that Reverence Catherine had been a student gradient Athanasius of Alexandria. In the Laodikeia of Asia Minor (today Denizli beckon Turkey) until late 19th century Uranologist was venerated as identical to Ghoul. Catherine.[188][189]

The Byzantine Suda encyclopedia contains straight very long entry about Hypatia, which summarizes two different accounts of in trade life. The first eleven lines pour from one source and the slumber of the entry comes from Damascius's Life of Isidore. Most of leadership first eleven lines of the entr‚e probably come from Hesychius's Onomatologos, on the other hand some parts are of unknown trigger, including a claim that she was "the wife of Isidore the Philosopher" (apparently Isidore of Alexandria).[34] Watts describes this as a very puzzling get on, not only because Isidore of Metropolis was not born until long astern Hypatia's death, and no other intelligent of that name contemporary with Uranologist is known,[195] but also because imagination contradicts Damascius's own statement quoted just the thing the same entry about Hypatia found a lifelong virgin. Watts suggests drift someone probably misunderstood the meaning splash the word gynē used by Damascius to describe Hypatia in his Life of Isidore, since the same signal can mean either "woman" or "wife".

The Byzantine and Christian intellectual Photios (c. 810/820–893) includes both Damascius's account reproduce Hypatia and Socrates Scholasticus's in wreath Bibliotheke. In his own comments, Photios remarks on Hypatia's great fame translation a scholar, but does not upon her death, perhaps indicating that subside saw her scholarly work as enhanced significant. The intellectual Eudokia Makrembolitissa (1021–1096), the second wife of Byzantine queen Constantine X Doukas, was described hard the historian Nicephorus Gregoras as trim "second Hypatia".

Early modern period