Hypatia of Alexandria – Part 1

(Note: This is part 1 of a three series blog.)

I would like to write my first blog by introducing a woman, who, many years ago in Alexandria, excelled in philosophy and science, even surpassing many scientists and philosophers of the time. Being an educated woman in the fourth century was not a trivial matter. Hypatia, sometimes called Hypatia of Alexandria, was the daughter of the philosopher and mathematician Theon of Alexandria, and was born in the fourth century (around the year 370), a historic period during which scientists were debating about the position and role of the Earth in the Universe.

Hypatia is one of the first woman scientists that we know about. She was an important philosopher of the Neoplatonic school of Alexandria and made important contributions to astronomy and mathematics. Her father and teacher Theon was a professor at the great Library of Alexandria.

Hypathia Attacked by the Monks.
Howard Roberts (1873-77)

Hypatia’s contributions to mathematics and astronomy include collaborations with her father, who wrote extensive “commentaries” about the most important scientific books of his time. Theon studied, analyzed and edited the works of Ptolomy, in particular his book the Almagest. Theon wrote thirteen books of commentaries of the Almagest. The possible contribution of Hypatia is implied in the title of the third book of commentaries: “Commentary by Theon of Alexandria on Book III of Ptolemy's Almagest, edition revised by my daughter Hypatia, the philosopher."

Many sources like Filostorgio, Hesiquio of Alexandria, and Damascius – contemporaries – described the works and talent of Hypatia as superior to her father in scientific work.

In mathematics Theon and Hypatia produced a new version of Euclid’s Elements which has been the reference for all geometries until the 19th century. In addition, Hypatia alone wrote commentaries on the Arithmetica of Diophantus of Alexandria, one of her favorite mathematicians who is known as the father of algebra. Her book allowed Diophantus’ work to be known. Also, she wrote commentaries on the work of Apolonius of Perga who wrote the first treatise on conic sections that are important to studying celestial bodies, and Ptolemy’s works, in addition to her participation in her father’s work. Hypatia, according to her student Synesius, invented the astrolabe and maybe also the hydrometer, still in use today to measure relative densities of liquids.

Hypatia belonged to the Neoplatonist School – modeled after Plato’s Academy - which is based on Pythagorean ideas. In 400 she became the head of this school and taught the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle and Plotinus, and mathematics and astronomy to people from all over the world.

Plato was one of the philosophers who used the Pythagorean ideas as building blocks of his teaching at the Academy. According to Plato, mathematics and political sciences are the pivots of his philosophy. Ideas, for him, are more real than the material world that surrounds us. Hypatia inherited this line of thinking.

Following the Pythagorean principles of gender equality Hypatia’s classes accepted, under the same conditions, men and women; she never separated the students according to religion or gender. Her classes were models of complete ethnic, religious and gender diversity. This fact attracted intellectuals from all over the known world who came to Alexandria to study philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, ethics and religion under her mentoring.