Hypatia Of Alexandria
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- Hypatia of Alexandria
- Legend and history.
- Female Socrates
- Going behind the curtain . . .
- A realistic view of Hypatia
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Hypatia of Alexandria (Revealing Antiquity , No 8)
Maria Dzielska
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0674437764 |
Book Description
Hypatia--brilliant mathematician, eloquent Neoplatonist, and a woman renowned for her beauty--was brutally murdered by a mob of Christians in Alexandria in 415. She has been a legend ever since. In this engrossing book, Maria Dzielska searches behind the legend to bring us the real story of Hypatia's life and death, and new insight into her colorful world. </p>
Historians and poets, Victorian novelists and contemporary feminists have seen Hypatia as a symbol--of the waning of classical culture and freedom of inquiry, of the rise of fanatical Christianity, or of sexual freedom. Dzielska shows us why versions of Hypatia's legend have served her champions' purposes, and how they have distorted the true story. She takes us back to the Alexandria of Hypatia's day, with its Library and Museion, pagan cults and the pontificate of Saint Cyril, thriving Jewish community and vibrant Greek culture, and circles of philosophers, mathematicians, astronomers, and militant Christians. Drawing on the letters of Hypatia's most prominent pupil, Synesius of Cyrene, Dzielska constructs a compelling picture of the young philosopher's disciples and her teaching. Finally she plumbs her sources for the facts surrounding Hypatia's cruel death, clarifying what the murder tells us about the tensions of this tumultuous era. </p>
Customer Reviews:
Hypatia of Alexandria.......2005-09-11
For those who have never heard of Hypatia the back of this book gives you a quick summary of the woman:
'Hypatia - brilliant mathematician, eloquent Neoplatonist, and a woman renowned for her beauty - was brutally murdered by a mob of Christians in Alexandria in 415. She has been a legend ever since.'
This book is thin (106 pages, an additional forty to fifty provide sources, notes, and an index yet, despite its size, it manages to pull together a summary of Hypatia's life from the texts of the time by people lsuch as Socrates Scholasticus and Synesius.
Essentially, it's an interpretation of these historical texts that reconstructs who Hypatia was, how she lived, and why she was brutally murdered.
The book begins by examining the enduring legend of Hypatia by looking at the literary references in which she is portrayed (19th Century novels, and poetry) and continues to examine her by looking at the people who lived around here. Moving on, Dzielska looks at Hypatia herself from trying to determine the year of her birth to describing the terrible death to which she succumbed and, looks at who - ultimately - was responsible.* After looking at Hypatia, the author resolves the woman's history and offers a conclusion to her book.
It was certainly an interesting book in both the uncommon subject matter and the way that the life within was completely reconstructed from writings of the day as none of Hypatia's work is believed to exist anymore. It does not cover life in Alexandria or describe the Great Library but, as the title suggests, this is not about Alexandria - there will, no doubt, be books on that topic.
It's worth reading if a) you have an interest in philosophy or mathematics; or b) you are a feminist looking for a new heroine. (She was, afterall, the only major female of scientific note prior to Marie Curie.)
* She was stripped naked, dragged through the streets to a church, where many proceeded to strip the flesh from her bones using broken pottery. Her remains were then tossed on a fire.
Legend and history........2003-05-23
Prof. Dzielska unravels the real life and murder of Hypatia.
Instead of the legendary young virgin martyr for paganism, she sketches a, for the period, remarkable older woman and teacher of neoplatonism and tolerance.
Her murder was instigated by the vicious ploys of a jealous catholic archbishop and executed by his ignorant mob. It was a political murder.
This book should be read because it treats of an age-old conflict that still rages in the world today: the power struggle between the civil (secular) and religious authorities.
This small work is a difficult (based on very few original sources), but very convincing reconstitution of the life of one of the very few known remarkable women of that age. A revealing work.
Female Socrates.......2001-01-21
Socrates was executed by the state of Athens as a scapegoat for its defeat by the Spartans. His crime was being a free thinker in a short age of turmoil. He was however fondly remembered and documented. Hypatia was first brought to my attention by Carl Sagan in his television series Cosmos. She has often been represented as a pillar of wisdom in an age of growing dogma. Unlike with Socrates we know much less about her life and teachings. She is remembered precisely as a martyr who was sacrificed rather than executed by a literalist Christian mob inspired by "St" Cyril, apparently as she was regarded as a threat to Christendom and theology by certain regio-political figures. Enough material on her survived not least owing to the strong memories evoked at the manner of her despatch which turned her into a historical icon.
This excellent short well sourced book is a biographic scenography in the best sense of the word. It does not sadly cover the destruction of the great library or go into great length about the history and politics of 4th century Alexandria but it blows the cobwebs and embelishments that are associated with this enigmatic figure leaving a strong, uncompromising educated presence who would have been of extreme high standing to have obtained the death she received at the hands of bigots.
The importance of Hypatia is that she represents a phase in history where Greek religion was being destroyed by the then politicised Roman state religion. Hypatia represents a tragic victim of this dark phase when a great deal of knowledge was irrevocably lost (e.g.Gandy and Freke, the Jesus Mysteries etc.,).
To know the real Hypatia, and that phase of history, this is one of the best places to begin.
Going behind the curtain . . ........2000-07-31
Those who have an interest in the Fourth Century are familiar with the name Hypatia of Alexandria. Unfortunately she has become a figure of legend and myth. Maria Dzielska's small, short book (106 pages, each about 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" ) first examines the various persons that made her a myth, as well as their motivations. It then goes to the source documents, sorts through the credibility of each, and then redraws our picture of Hypatia. (For example, most encyclopedias give Hypatia's date of birth as about 370. Dzielska builds a strong case that she was born about 15 years earlier than that, and was in her 60's when she was murdered). This book excels in distinguishing fact from fiction - in other words it is a work of historical research. Dzielska also points out where her knowledge ends and her inferences begin. This virtue - once known as humility - also contributes to the value of this book. As one would expect, it has an annotated bibliography ("Sources"), is fully footnoted, and includes a good index. Those whose interest in Hypatia involves "her meaning" may be disappointed; those who want the truth about her will find this a useful piece of research and analysis. Maria Dzielska's book could be used as a sourcebook on HOW historical figures are appropriated for the political or religious agendas of persons less interested in "the facts" than "making a point". This alone makes it of wider interest than it might otherwise appear.
A realistic view of Hypatia.......2000-07-01
I had placed this book on my wish list because it came to my attention through a friend with similar interests. He generously sent it to me, and I must say I enjoyed it. This is probably more for the individual interested in how historical research is done than for someone looking for an indepth account of the lady's life. Although it will give you a very realistic assessment of her life and times in the two concluding chapters, it gives a scholarly assessment of available primary resoureces as its foundation before doing so. And rightly so, since as the first chapter makes abundantly clear, a lot of sentimental nonsense has been written about the person of Hypatia on next to no basis at all. More than anything the character of Hypatia that is presented by these authors has been designed to illustrate some point of importance or some axe to grind by that individual author. Her actual personality and life history become secondary to those goals as she becomes the center of parable.
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Hypatia of Alexandria: Mathematician and Martyr
Michael A. B. Deakin
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1591025206 |
Book Description
In the late fourth and early fifth centuries of our era, Hypatia of Alexandria was the world's greatest living mathematician and astronomer. A strikingly beautiful woman and a devoted celibate, she lived in a city as turbulent and troubled as Baghdad or Beirut is today. She achieved fame not only in her special field, but also as a philosopher, religious thinker, and teacher who attracted a large popular following. Her life ended tragically in violence at the hands of a rampaging mob of Christian fanatics, who killed her for her "pagan" beliefs, some say at the instigation of St. Cyril of Alexandria.
This is the first biography of Hypatia to integrate all aspects of her life. Mathematician Michael Deakin emphasizes that, though she was a philosopher, she was first and foremost a mathematician and astronomer of great accomplishment. In a fascinating narrative that brings to life a richly diverse ancient society, he describes her work so that the mathematics, presented in straightforward terms, finds its true place in the context of her life as a whole. Deakin supplies full detail on the historical, intellectual, and religious context of Hypatia's times. He also analyzes the pattern of her life and thought, and finally gives an account of the events leading up to her lynch-mob execution.
Although this outrageous crime has made Hypatia a powerful symbol of intellectual freedom and feminist aspiration to this day, Deakin makes clear that the important intellectual contributions of her life's work should not be overshadowed by her tragic death.
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Hypatia, scientist of Alexandria. 8th march 415 A.D.
Adriano, Petta , and Antonino, Colavito
Manufacturer: Lampi di stampa
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Binding: Paperback
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- Hypatia of Alexandria (Revealing Antiquity , No 8)
ASIN: 8848804209 |
Book Description
Hypatia (370÷415 A.D.), heiress to the Alexandrian School, philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and forerunner of experimental science, conceived of and constructed the astrolabe, the hydroscope and the aerometre. Adriano Petta and Antonino Colavito have written this book, consisting of two themes intertwined like a double helix, to honour the memory of Reason's first martyr, who preferred to be slaughtered rather than giving up her freedom of thought. The first focuses on Hypatia as a woman and describes her daily activities (private, scientific and political) in an accurately reconstructed historical context, recounting a life that becomes more and more dramatic till brought to an end as described in a shattering epilogue. The second theme is the voice of Hypatia which, punctuating the first with episodes or 'dreams', describes her research work. It is through the latter that she teaches and communicates with those who listen to her, both academics and ordinary people, as a master of scientific knowledge the origins of which go back at least a thousand years before her time, and which the demise of the Hellenic world and the triumph of Christianity was to bury for many centuries, until the birth of modern science, from Galileo onwards.
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Hypatia (Everyman's Library)
Kingsley
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0460002309 |
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- History & Kramer - Perfect Together!
- Captivating - I didn't want Hypatia to die!
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Holy Murder: The Death of Hypatia of Alexandria
Charlotte, Kramer
Manufacturer: Infinity Publishing
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Binding: Paperback
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- Hypatia of Alexandria (Revealing Antiquity , No 8)
ASIN: 0741428946 |
Product Description
It was in the illustrious city of Alexandria that the celebrated beauty Hypatia, (Hy-pa-sha) a Fifth Century “renaissance” woman lived her brief but brilliant life as a professor of philosophy, mathematics, chemistry and astronomy. Bishop Cyril despised Hypatia and ordered her brutal death. His army destroyed her manuscripts and inventions as Cyril attempted to erase her name from history. Her trusted scribe and lover, Ramas, however hid her secret scrolls in the ancient city of Petra. Her brilliance is stated in Carl Sagan’s #1 best seller, Cosmos, “The glory of the Alexandrian library is a dim memory. Its last remnants were destroyed soon after Hypatia’s death.
Customer Reviews:
History & Kramer - Perfect Together!.......2007-05-25
OUTSTANDING book! Charlotte Kramer is to history, what Rachael Ray is to olive oil. An author who seamlessly blends color, passion and historical accuracy with an intriguing love story.
You'll share the wonderment of Hypatia's students as she teaches you the wonders she's uncovered; you'll hate Cyril for his treachery and you'll cheer Ramas for his undying love and devotion of the woman he adores.
Pick up this book and be ready to read all night! A MUST READ for any reader who wants to be swept away by a story and characters penned to capture your heart! Bravo.
Captivating - I didn't want Hypatia to die!.......2007-04-10
The research that went into this book to make it so real blew me away. I was there in the amphitheater, listening to this intelligent beautiful Hypatia teach our class, drawing in the sand in the center since there were no black boards. Her murder horrified me. Her courage to be a woman in a man's world inspired me. The beautiful love story of total and complete devotion to one another touched my heart. What more can I say other than...Wow! I have recommended this book over and over as a MUST READ book.
Philosophers:
- Irigaray, Luce
- Jaspers, Karl
- Kant, Immanuel
- Khaldun, Ibn
- Kierkegaard, Søren
- Kripke, Saul
- Kristeva, Julia
- Kuhn, Thomas S.
- La Mettrie, Julien Offray De
- Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm
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