Hypatia was born in about 355 AD, in Alexandria, Egypt. She is considered to be the first female mathematician. But she also delved into other areas including, astronomy and philosophy. She was the daughter of Theon, who was a mathematician and astronomer and the last recorded member of the Library of Alexandria. He is best remembered for the preservation of Euclid's Elements, which is a set of books, attributed to the Greek mathematician, Euclid, that covered a range of different topics; including: geometry, number theory and immeasurable lines. But he also wrote extensively, commenting on Ptolemy's Almagest and Handy Tables.
She quickly took up her father's work, following in his footsteps and working diligently to preserve Greek astronomical and mathematical knowledge that had been collected over several centuries. She is widely remembered for commenting on Apollonius of Perga's geometry and Diophantus of Alexandria's number theory, as well as an astronomical table, which was found in a revised version of the 3rd book of the Almagest, which her father had been reviewing. She took her father's writings and expanded upon them, bringing them into newer, more difficult areas, pushing the boundaries of the time. These works which she is believed to have written have been lost, despite attempts to restore them, from fragments left behind.
Hypatia was born and lived in a very turbulent and trying time in Alexandrian history, when Christianity had been legalized and become the official religion of the Roman Empire; ancient temples, statues and relics were being destroyed or torn down, in places all over the empire, including Alexandria. Despite these obstacles she rose up to become the leading mathematician and astronomer of her time, Hypatia was also a popular teacher and lecturer of philosophic theory, garnering large audiences and a following of devoted students. She is known as a Neoplatonist, which was a philosophy that was labelled as "pagan" during this period of great upheaval in Alexandria; marked by bitter conflicts between Christians, Jews and pagans. Hypatia's philosophy of Neoplatonism was based on the concept of the study and interpretation of the forces which shape people's everyday lives and explored abstract topics which were potentially independent from the physical world. This philosophy also lead her to remain a virgin for the entirety of her life.
An early example of the religious tension between the aforementioned religious groups was the destruction of the Serapeum, which was a temple built in honor of the Greco-Roman god, Serapis. This event would have also represented the end of the Great Library of Alexandria, since it is believed that the Serapeum contained some of the library's written works. However the bishop of Alexandria, Theophilus, was a good friend of Synesius, who was a ardent pupil of Hypatia's, so she was able to continue her studies unimpeded until the deaths of Synesius and Theophilus, around 412 AD. When the new bishop, Cyril, rose to power the Alexandrian Christians tolerance of Hypatia's philosophy and teachings came to an abrupt and brutal end. Soon after, in March 415, Hypatia was swarmed by a group of Christian zealots and according to some records skinned alive with sharp pieces of pottery and shells.
It's been debated for centuries, how guilty Cyril was in condemning Hypatia and her work. But her atrocious murder has made her a feminist icon, she is remembered as an intellectual who continued to pursue her scientific and philosophic endeavors, in the midst of facing ignorant persecution. Her academic accomplishments were memorable enough but her tragic death made her legacy even more important to preserve.
Sidenotes:
Ptolemy's Almagest- is a mathematical and astronomical book about the movements of the planets and stars, it is considered one of the most influential scientific books of all time. It's model of the earth at the centre of the solar system was revolutionary.
Handy Tables- tables mapping the planets in the solar system
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hypatia
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Women in Science, Medicine and Mathematics
Non-FictionWomen who have contributed to the fields of science, medicine and math. They paved the way for future generations, made groundbreaking discoveries, many times while being outshone or downtrodden by their male counterparts.
