A woman who was one of the most brilliant minds during her time. She was a teacher of all of the grandest subjects at Alexandria.
There was a woman at Alexandria named Hypatia, daughter of the
philosopher Theon, who made such attainments in literature and science,
as to far surpass all the philosophers of her own time.
Having succeeded
to the school of Plato and Plotinus, she explained the principles of
philosophy to her auditors, many of whom came from a distance to receive
her instructions.
On account of the self-possession and ease of manner
which she had acquired in consequence of the cultivation of her mind,
she not infrequently appeared in public in the presence of the
magistrates.
Neither did she feel abashed in going to an assembly of
men. For all men on account of her extraordinary dignity and virtue
admired her the more. Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical HistoryÆ
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Hypatia was the earliest
woman mathematician recorded in Western history. This is my imagined
portrait of her in a first edition linocut print in copper and
purple-blue on lovely Japanese kozo (or mulberry) paper, 12.5 inches by
12 inches (31.7 cm by 30.5 cm). There are 12 prints in the edition.
Hypatia
lived in the 3rd century AD in Alexandria, Egypt, which was part of the
Roman Empire. She was born at some time between about 350 and 370 and
died in 415 C.E. She was the head of the Platonist school, where she
taught philosophy, astronomy and mathematics. She believed in empiricism
and natural law. She was the last librarian of the famed Library of
Alexandria in the Museum of Alexandria, largest and most significant
library of the ancient world. She was the daughter of a famous
mathematician, Theon Alexandricus (ca. 335–405), with whom she worked
and published edited versions of Classical texts in mathematics. She
also pursued her education in Athens and Italy before returning to
Alexandria and becoming the head of the Platonist school.
My Images are located @ Eminpee Fotography
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