Hypatia was brutally murdered by a mob of Christian fanatics. Hypatia of Alexandria was Greek mathematician, philosopher, and astronomer that lived and taught in Alexandria. Hypatia continued his program, which was essentially a determined effort to preserve the Greek mathematical and astronomical heritage in extremely difficult times. She was also a popular teacher and lecturer on philosophical topics of a less-specialist nature, attracting many loyal students and large audiences. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. She was, in her time, the world’s leading mathematician and astronomer, the only woman for whom such claim can be made. She was a prominent thinker of the Neoplatonic school in Alexandria where she taught philosophy and astronomy. Hypatia, (born c. 355 ce—died March 415, Alexandria), mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who lived in a very turbulent era in Alexandria’s history. It was probably the most advanced device in the ancient world, and in many ways the technological precursor to mechanical watches. Her Neoplatonism was concerned with the approach to the One, an underlying reality partially accessible via the human power of abstraction from the Platonic forms, themselves abstractions from the world of everyday reality. With the deaths of Synesius and Theophilus and the accession of Cyril to the bishopric of Alexandria, however, this climate of tolerance lapsed, and shortly afterward Hypatia became the victim of a particularly brutal murder at the hands of a gang of Christian zealots. They pulled her from her carriage on a street in Alexandria, dragged her to a church, stripped her naked, beat her to death and/or flayed her, tore off her limbs, and burned her remains. Hypatia was the daughter of Theon of Alexandria, himself a mathematician and astronomer and the last attested member of the Alexandrian Museum (see Researcher’s Note: Hypatia’s birth date).Theon is best remembered for the part he played in the preservation of Euclid’s Elements, but he also wrote extensively, commenting on Ptolemy’s Almagest and Handy Tables. Author of. Save 50% off a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Hypatia’s Beginnings. She is the earliest female mathematician of whose life and work reasonably detailed knowledge exists. Hypatia is famous for being the greatest mathematician and astronomer of her time, for being the leader of the Neoplatonist school of philosophy in Alexandria, for spectacularly overcoming the profound sexism of her society, and for suffering a violent death at the hands of ignorant zealots. Hypatia (born c. 350–370; died 415) was a Hellenistic Neoplatonist philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, then part of the Eastern Roman Empire. This was partially because of her use of the astrolabe, an intricate device that was used by the Greeks to predict the path of the stars, tell the time, measure angles, and later on even measure latitude. They pulled her from her carriage on a street in Alexandria, dragged her to a church, stripped her naked, beat her to death and/or flayed her, tore off her limbs, and burned her remains. Hypatia of Alexandria was Greek mathematician, philosopher, and astronomer that lived and taught in Alexandria. Hypatia was the daughter of Theon of Alexandria, himself a mathematician and astronomer and the last attested member of the Alexandrian Museum (see Researcher’s Note: Hypatia’s birth date). In producing her commentaries on Apollonius and Diophantus, she was pushing the program initiated by her father into more recent and more difficult areas. Honorary Research Fellow, School of Mathematical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Her intellectual accomplishments alone were quite sufficient to merit the preservation and respect of her name, but, sadly, the manner of her death added to it an even greater emphasis. Her philosophy also led her to embrace a life of dedicated virginity. If it was her philosophy, it is a bit ironic that the tradition of Platonism, Ptolemy, and Mathematics (and even the astrolabe) was preserved in Europe primarily by the Christian intellectuals. These works, the only ones she is listed as having written, have been lost, although there have been attempts to reconstruct aspects of them. Her death was in many ways political, with the religious zealots trying to seize power and purge the more free thinking pagan philosophers. Theophilus, however, was friendly with Synesius, an ardent admirer and pupil of Hypatia, so she was not herself affected by this development but was permitted to pursue her intellectual endeavours unimpeded. She is the first female mathematician to be written of and achieved the position of head of the respected Platonist school. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hypatia, Ancient History Encyclopedia - Biography of Hypatia of Alexandria, MacTutor History of Mathematics - Biography of Hypatia of Alexandria, Hypatia - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Hypatia - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Artist's impression of the murder of Hypatia of Alexandria at the hands of followers of Cyril, patriarch of Alexandria. Hypatia taught Platonic philosophy, Ptolemy's system of celestial movement, and the advanced mathematics of Euclid (her father was the one who brought Euclid's Elements to the city). Some historians mark this as the turning point of the Alexandria as the hub of intellectualism, and the library was burned soon after (although this is controversial, to say the least, and probably not related). She was accused of satanic sorcery by a Christian mob and murdered. Premium Membership is now 50% off! She was known as a gifted teacher, and undoubtedly one of the greatest thinkers of the time. Omissions? By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. How did Hypatia die? She was accused of satanic sorcery by a Christian mob and murdered. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. After all, typically when you murder someone for heresy, you don't preserve their writings for future generations. Black Friday Sale! Corrections? Hypatia was renowned in her own lifetime as a great teacher and a wise counselor. 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