WIBCI Post #19

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.

• 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.