Hypatia : Mathematician, Philosopher, Myth

Hypatia was a female philosopher and mathematician during the early Christian era in Alexandria. She was brutally murdered by a Christian mob and has become an icon for various groups. But who was the woman behind the myth? Using the available evidence these myths are dispelled and the woman who was Hypatia is visible for the first time.

This biography of Hypatia the female philosopher and mathematician in Christian Egypt provides background on her work and her life as an elite woman at this time. There are many myths about Hypatia, including her research, inventions and the impact of her murder, all based on a handful of contemporary resources. Through presenting the different theories and myths alongside the available evidence, this book will enable the reader to make their own interpretations about her life. Whilst the evidence does leave many questions unanswered this book provides the evidence as it stands, separating the myth from reality. There is very little published on Hypatia and she forms quite a niche market in the history of ancient Egypt. However she is an interesting example of how multicultural Alexandria functioned at such an unstable political time, and provides anecdotal evidence of the atrocities that occurred. This book will appeal to scholars, lay people and political and religious researchers, and will show that the history of Egypt does not end at Cleopatra.