The murder of ancient Alexandria's greatest scholar - Soraya Field Fiorio
TED-Ed・2 minutes read
Hypatia of Alexandria was a talented mathematician and philosopher who led the Platonic school and developed the Neoplatonism school that saw mathematics as a spiritual language, attracting students from different backgrounds. Despite her contributions to academia, she was falsely accused of witchcraft and brutally murdered in 415 CE, signaling a downturn in Alexandria's intellectual climate.
Insights
- Hypatia of Alexandria, a leading scholar in mathematics and philosophy, developed the Neoplatonism school that saw mathematics as a spiritual tool, drawing students from diverse religious backgrounds to her teachings.
- Despite her intellectual contributions and advisory role to the Roman governor Orestes, Hypatia faced false accusations of witchcraft by Archbishop Cyril's monks, resulting in her tragic murder in 415 CE, symbolizing the decline of intellectual pursuits in Alexandria due to religious and political turmoil.
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Who was Hypatia of Alexandria?
A renowned mathematician and philosopher born in 355 CE.
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Hypatia: Scholar, Teacher, Tragic End
- Hypatia of Alexandria, a renowned mathematician and philosopher, was born around 355 CE in Alexandria, Egypt, where she surpassed her father in mathematics and philosophy, becoming the city's foremost scholar and leading the Platonic school.
- Hypatia's teachings drew from Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, and Pythagoras, forming the Neoplatonism school that viewed mathematics as a spiritual language of the universe, attracting students from various religious backgrounds to study with her.
- Amidst religious and political turmoil in Alexandria, Hypatia advised the Roman governor Orestes on fairness and restraint, but was falsely accused of witchcraft by Archbishop Cyril's monks, leading to her brutal murder in March 415 CE, marking a decline in the city's intellectual environment.
