Hypatia was the daughter of the mathematician and philosopher Theon of Alexandria and
it is fairly certain that she studied mathematics under the guidance and instruction of her father, it is rather
remarkable that Hypatia became head of the Platonist school at Alexandria in about 400 AD.
There she lectured on mathematics and philosphy, in particular teaching the philosophy of Neoplatonism. Hypatia based her teachings on those of Plotinus, the founder of
Neoplatonism and Iamblichus who was a developer of Neoplatonism around 300AD.
Plotinus taught there is an ultimate reality which is beyond the reach of though or language, the object of life
was to aim at ultimate reality which could never be precisely described.
Plotinus stressed that people did not have the mental capacity to fully understand both the ultimate reality
itself or the consequences of its existence.
Iamblichus distinguished further levels of reality in a hierarchy of levels beneath the ultimate reality.
There was a level of reality corresponding to every distinct thought of which the human mind was capable.
Hypatia taught these philosophical ideas with a greater scientific emphasis than earlier followers of Neoplatonism.
She is described by all commentators as a charismatic teacher.
Died March 415
Hypatia came to symbolise learning and science which the early Christians identified with paganism, however,
among the pupils who she taught in Alexandria there were many prominent Christians. One of the most famous
is Synesius of Cyrene who was later to become the Bishop of Ptoemais.
Many of the letters that Synesius wrote to Hypatia have been preserved and we can someone was filled with
admiration reverence for Hypatia's learning and scientific abilities.
In 412 Cyril, later Sir Cyril, became patriarch of Alexandria. However the Roman prefect of Alexandria was
Orestes and Cyril and Orestes became bitter political rivals as church and state fought for control.
Hypatia was a friend of Orestes and this, together with prejudice against her philosophical views which were
seen by Christians to be pagan, led Hypatia becoming the focal point of riots between Christians and non- Christains,
Hypatia. , Heath writes,..."by her eloquence and authority...attained such influence that Christianity considered
itself threatened..."
A few years later, according to one report, Hypatia was brutally murdered by the Nitrian monks who were a
fanatical sect of Christians who were supporters of Cyril, according to another account (by Socrates Scholasticus)
she was killed by an Alexandrian mob under the leadership of the reader Peter.
What certainly seems indisputable is that she was murdered by Christains who felt threatened by her scholarship,
Learning, and depth of scientific knowledge. This event seems to be a turning point as described below..
"Whatever the precise motivation for the murder, the departure soon afterwards of May scholars marked the
beginning of the decline of Alexandria as a major centre of ancient learning"
There is no evidence that Hypatia undertook original mathematical research, however she assisted her father
Theon in writing his eleven commentary in Ptolemy's Almagest.
It is also thought also that she assisted her father producing a new version of Euclid's Elements which has become
the basis for all later editions of Euclid. Heath writes of Theon and Hypatia's edition of Elements as follows..
"While making only inconsiderable additions to the content of the "Elements", he endeavoured to remove difficulties
that might be felt by learners in studying the book, as a modern editor might do in editing a classical text book
for use in schools, and there is no doubt that his edition was approved by his pupils at Alexandria for whom it
was written, as well as by later Greeks who used it almost exclusively .."
In addition to the joint work with her father, we are informed by Suidas that Hypatia wrote commentaries on
Diophantus's Arithmeticia, om Apollonius's Conics and on Ptolemy's astronomical works.
Hypatia
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