Scholar
Hypatia
Philosopher and mathematician of Alexandria
c. 355 – 415 CE
Her birth year is uncertain; some scholars suggest around 355 CE.
Biography
Daughter of the mathematician Theon, she taught philosophy and mathematics in Alexandria, to both pagan and Christian students. She was killed in 415 CE by a Christian mob amid a political conflict between the city’s bishop and the imperial prefect.
Key facts
Certainty: Established
The church historian Socrates relates that Hypatia was killed in 415 CE by a Christian mob, in the midst of a conflict between the bishop Cyril and the prefect Orestes.
- Socrates Scholasticus “Ecclesiastical History (5th century CE)”, VII.15
- Edward J. Watts (2017) “Hypatia: The Life and Legend of an Ancient Philosopher” Oxford University Press