Hypatia (born c. 355 CE—died March 415,
Alexandria) was a mathematician, astronomer, and
philosopher who lived in a very turbulent era in Alexandria’s
history. She is the earliest female mathematician of whose
life and work reasonably detailed knowledge exists. Hypatia
was the daughter of Theon of Alexandria, himself a
mathematician and astronomer and the last attested
member of the Alexandrian Museum. Hypatia continued his
program, which was essentially a determined effort to
preserve the Greek mathematical and astronomical heritage
in (1) extremely difficult times. She is credited with
commentaries on geometry, number theory, as well as an
(2) astronomical table. These works, the only ones she is
listed as having written, have been lost, although there have
been attempts to (3) reconstruct aspects of them. She was,
in her time, the world’s leading mathematician and
astronomer, the only woman for (4) whom such claim can be
made.
She was also a popular teacher and lecturer on
philosophical topics of a less-specialist nature, attracting
many loyal students and large audiences. Her philosophy
was Neoplatonist and was thus seen as “pagan” at a time of
bitter religious conflict between Christians (both orthodox
and “heretical”), Jews, and pagans. Her philosophy also led
her to embrace a life of dedicated virginity.
The 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.
The affair
made Hypatia a powerful feminist symbol and a figure of
affirmation for intellectual endeavor in the face of ignorant
prejudice. Her intellectual accomplishments alone were
quite ______ to merit the preservation and respect of her
name, but, sadly, the manner of her death added to it an
even greater emphasis.
Source: Encyclopedia Britannica. Adapted.