From the dream come the vision
From the vision come the people
From the people come the power
From this power come the change
– Peter Gabriel
Stage 3: Better for the Most or if you prefer, this is where LITERATURE, PHILOSOPHY, HISTORY and POLITICS all come to party.
What is meant by death of Hypatia?:
death of Hypatia/ deth / uv / heh-p॑ey-shə / n.
- A tragedy which stalls civilization; where the greed of a few interrupts progress for the whole.
- An event that should be learned from
- A moment that is NOT Better for the Most
Who/What happened to Hypatia of Alexandria?
Hypatia was a woman born c. 350 who lived in Alexandria, Egypt. We do not know what Hypatia looked like nor do we have any of her writings. What we know of Hypatia is from her students, contemporaries, rumor, slander and myth.
The scholar/mathematician/philosopher/astronomer was beloved by Christians and Pagans alike. Known for her tolerance and intelligence, students traveled from all corners of the empire to study with the Neoplatonist. Neoplatonism is a combination of philosophy/mathematics/science into an order which attempts an explanation for the universe. Reknown for her inclusivity for all people/religions, she established great influence in the philosophical and political realms of Alexandria. Orestes, the Roman prefect (Roman Governor) sought advise from Hypatia during a public feud between himself and Cyril, the archbishop of Alexandria. The archbishop, in the name of Christianity, began to impose on Orestes’ secular authority. Orestes was attacked, saved by the people of Alexandria, discovered the leader of the perpetrators whom he had tortured and killed. Cyril placed the blame on Hypatia, the witch, possibly due to her influence, maybe jealously for her popularity and/or to get her tolerance out of the way.
Although the details of her death will never be known, it is believed that in c. 415 a mob pulled Hypatia from her carriage and dragged her into a church. Her flesh was scraped from her body; it is believed to have been done with roof tiles or oyster shells. She was dismembered and burnt.
Why this is considered a death of Hypatia moment:
- The event caused a scholarly exodus, Alexandria ceased to be the intellectual capital of the world.
- The event attributed to the decline in intellectualism in the Roman Empire.
- The event is arguably noted as the moment that marks the end of the Classical Era.
- Any death of Hypatia moment results in the decline in people thinking for themselves due to the increase in organizational persecution for thinking anyway other than what the status quo of the day dictates.
Free thought has been the historical Achilles’ heel for those few who contribute to death of Hypatia moments.
Turning shrapnel in the salt filled wound:
- Hypatia’s character was mostly obliterated after her death and throughout most of history. Instead of being known as the first renowned female mathematician in history. She is NOT known for constructing scientific instruments or writing a commentary on Diophantus’s thirteen-volume Arithmetica. She wasn’t known for studying Neoplatonism, a philosophy that believes the universe is made up of the One and its order/explanation can be found in music, math and astronomy.
No.
Hypatia has been known as being a beautiful virgin who threw a soiled feminine item at a lovesick student or people were told she was a witch. And the man most arguably believed to have fueled the mob that killed Hypatia, was made a Saint.
Other Death of Hypatia moments:
- Stabbing of Cesar
- 2010 case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
- Assassination of John F. Kennedy
- The closing of the Athenian School
- Bonfire of the Vanities
- The United States Presidential Election of 2024
So….
Well after you read/research/read more about the list above, consider some moments that I hadn’t (I’m interested in your list, so please share and I’ll update, if I agree of course) and what the ripples that were caused from these moments. The Titanic sank and was a terrible tragedy but resulted in changes in safety practices and maritime policy. A Death of Hypatia moment is a tragedy that is made worse because it is not learned from, we are not made better as a whole because of it.
If you notice the last bullet above means I believe we are in the midst of a Death of Hypatia moment right now. I don’t want my short time on Earth to be reduced to a greedy moment caused by insatiable impulses of a handful of dickheads.
You know yourself, stage one.
You understand where you exist on this merry go round and who your teams are.
Now it’s time for Better for the Most. aka doing something about it…