She is the daughter of mathematician Theon, who was the last professor at the University of Alexandria. He tutored her in mathematics, astronomy and philosophy, which were considered science at that time. I know nothing about her mother. As mentioned above, I have little information about her life. As the scholar Michael ·AB· Deakin wrote:
The most detailed record of Hipatia's life is her death record. We know more about her death from first-hand information than we know about any other aspect of her life. (49)
In 4 15, she was killed by a group of Christian thugs who attacked her in the streets of Alexandria. The main sources, even Christian writers who are hostile to her and claim that she is a witch, generally sympathize with recording her death as a tragedy. These descriptions usually describe Hai Pasha as a woman who is widely known for her generosity, love of learning and professional knowledge in the teaching of neo-Platonism, mathematics, science and philosophy.
The development of Alexandria
The city of Alexandria in Egypt was founded by Alexander the Great on the site of the old port city of Lacotis in A.D. 1 year. 33 BC1. It is said that Alexander himself made a plan for the city, and then left the building to his commander Cleo menes, while Alexander himself continued his military operations. Creomines established the original city, but it reached its peak when Alexander was ruled by general Ptolemy I Soter (323-282 BC) after his death.
Ptolemy I Soter established the library, museum and museum of Alexandria, and turned the city into a cultural center comparable to Athens. Scholar Lionel Carson commented:
In ancient times, the word museum usually refers to a religious institution, a temple dedicated to the muse; Ptolemy's creation is the symbolic temple of the Muses, and it is also the place to cultivate the art they symbolize. This is an ancient version of the think tank: members are composed of famous writers, poets, scientists and scholars, appointed by the Ptolemy dynasty for life, enjoying generous salary and tax-free treatment (in Ptolemy kingdom, this is not a trivial privilege, free accommodation. There is no danger of running out of funds, because the institution was donated by Ptolemy I Soter when it was established. (33)
Alexander attracted the best talents in science, mathematics, philosophy and many other disciplines at that time. The great mathematician Archimedes (287-2 BC12 BC) once studied there, and maybe even taught courses. Philosopher and geographer Eratosthenes (276- 194 BC) taught there, and he calculated the circumference of the earth in Alexandria. Mathematician Euclid (300 BC) also taught in Alexandria, where an outstanding engineer and mathematician Hiro (also known as Heron, AD 10-70) lived and worked.
On the first two levels, the city prospered under the Ptolemaic dynasty, but the other levels declined steadily until it was occupied by Rome after the Battle of Aksin in 3 1 BC. When the Roman emperor Constantine the Great (l. 272-337 CE) made Christianity the state religion, Christians in Alexandria-who had been persecuted before-now feel entitled to fight back against their pagan opponents. In the era of Haipa Xia, religious differences and competition often split cities and broke out in violent incidents.
Hipatia lived a respected scholar's life at the University of Alexandria.
Hepasha and her city
In a city with increasingly diverse religions (which has always been the case culturally), Hipatia is a close friend of the pagan leader Orestes, and the Christian Archbishop Cyril of Alexandria accused him of preventing Orestes from accepting the "true faith". If it were not for her charm, charm and Excellence, her outstanding performance in making students understand difficult mathematical and philosophical concepts would be regarded as a stumbling block by those who could have accepted the "truth" of Christianity. A concept that contradicts the teachings of a relatively new church.
From all aspects, Hipatia is an extraordinary woman, a popular speaker not only at that time, but also at any time. Michael Deakin quoted the ancient historian Damasius to describe her public speech:
This lady, dressed in a military robe [a scholar's robe, so it's basically a man's costume], appeared near the city center and publicly explained to those who are willing to listen to Plato, Aristotle or other philosophers ... [Her house] There is chaos around the door, people and horses, people coming and going, and others standing beside Hai Bhatia. Philosophers want to talk to them now. This is her house. (58)
Her father Theon refused to impose the traditional female role on his daughter and raised her like a son in Greek tradition. By teaching her own craft. Scholar Wendy Slater King wrote:
Greek women of all classes are engaged in the same type of work, mainly focusing on family needs. Women take care of young children, take care of patients and prepare food. (34)
On the other hand, Hipatia lived the life of a respected scholar at the University of Alexandria. In the past, only men were entitled to jobs. Deakin pointed out that her talent surpassed her respected father, and ancient witnesses proved her talent. She has never been married, has been single, and devoted herself to learning and teaching. Ancient writers agreed that she was a very clever woman, even Christian writers who were hostile to her, such as John of Niqiu. Deacon commented:
The breadth of her interests is impressive. In mathematics, she wrote or taught astronomy (including its observation-astrolabe), geometry (as well as advanced geometry at that time) and algebra (again, for algebra, which was difficult at that time), made progress in computing technology-all of these, engaged in religious philosophy and longed for a good writing style. According to our judgment, her works are the product of her teaching in the field of mathematical technology. In fact, she is continuing a project initiated by her father: consciously trying to protect and clarify the great mathematical works in Alexander's legacy. ( 1 12)
This legacy is impressive, and Alexander can be compared with Athens and become a treasure of learning and culture. Since Ptolemy I Soter's rule, Alexandria has developed into the best epitome of civilized city life. Even in relative decline, this city is still a miracle of the Mediterranean world. Early writers like strabo (63 BC-2 AD1year) described the city as "magnificent", and the university was so highly valued that despite religious confrontation and violence, scholars continued to flock there from all over the world. It is said that the Alexandria Library has 500,000 books on the shelves in the main building, and there are more books in the adjacent annex. As a university professor, Hipatia has access to this resource every day, and obviously she makes full use of it.
Religious intolerance and death
In the early days of Christianity, Alexandria was still an important learning place, but with the growth of believers and forces, it became more and more divided due to the struggle between religious factions. It is no exaggeration to say that Alexander, as a center of culture and learning, was destroyed by religious intolerance, and Hai Bhatia became a symbol of this tragedy, so that her death was considered as the end of the classical world.
Archbishop Cyril was often frustrated by Patjas's reputation and her friendship with Governor Orestes. John, the Christian chronicler of Niqiu, explained this situation from the perspective of Cyril:
A female philosopher who appeared in Alexandria that year, a pagan named Hipatia, devoted herself to music at any time with magic, astrolabes and documents. She deceived many people through the devil's tricks. The Lord (Orestes) respected her very much because she charmed him with magic. He no longer goes to church according to his habit. (Deacon, 148)
When a man named Chirac in Orestes, a devout Christian and Cyril's subordinate, publicly punished him for inciting violence, the tension increased. Chirac sneaked into a synagogue and watched the Jewish community, looking for any evidence that Jews planned to oppose Christians. When the Jews noticed him, they complained to Orestes that he was caught and punished. This angered Cyril, who encouraged Christian groups to attack Jews. Jews were killed, survivors were expelled from the city, their property was occupied by Christians, and synagogues were changed into churches. In the religious fanaticism aroused by their "victory" over the Jews, the mob began to look for Hipatia.
The murder of hippasia
In 4 15 AD, on his way home from college every day, Hai Parthias was attacked by this mob mainly composed of Christian monks. She was dragged from the carriage to a church in the street, where she was stripped naked, beaten to death and burned. The scholar Mangasar M. Mangasarian described the scenes recorded by ancient historians:
The next morning, when Hai Pacias appeared in front of her residence in a carriage, 500 people dressed in black and headscarves and 500 semi-hungry monks from the Egyptian desert suddenly appeared. The desert-500 monks, soldiers on the cross-crossed the street like a black hurricane, boarded her chariot, pulled her down from her seat and dragged her into one with her hair-what should I say? -Go into the church! Some historians say that if she wants to live, monks will ask her to kiss the cross, become a Christian and join a nun. In any case, these monks, led by Peter, St Cyril's right-hand man, shamefully stripped her of her clothes and scraped her trembling flesh from her bones with oyster shells near the altar and the cross. The marble floor of the church was covered with her warm blood. The altar and the cross were also splashed all over because her limbs were torn by violence, and the monk's hand presented an indescribable disgusting scene. The mutilated bodies, the murderers enjoyed their fanatical hatred and then were thrown into the flame. (6)
After the death of Parthias, the University of Alexandria was set on fire by the Cyrillic Knights, pagan temples were demolished, and a large number of intellectuals and artists from Alexandria flowed out. Cyril was later declared a saint by the church because he tried to suppress paganism and fight for true faith. The death of Hipatia has always been regarded as a watershed in history, and the Christian era defined the classical era of pagans.
conclusion
The 2009 feature film Market tells the life and death of Hipatia, and accurately depicts the religious turmoil in Alexandria. AD 4 15, and also obtained the permission of the events in the philosopher's life (such as the details of her death). After the film was shown in some places in the Christian community, it caused controversy. They object to describing early Christians as fanatical enemies of learning and culture. However, it is clear in history that with the rise of Christianity, Alexandria began to decline. Hipatia's death in Alexandria reflected everything that civilization lost in the turmoil of religious intolerance and the harm it caused.