quote:Hypatia of Alexandria (c. 370 CE - March 415 CE) was a female philosopher and mathematician, born in Alexandria, Egypt possibly in 370 CE (although some scholars cite her birth as c. 350 CE). She was the daughter of the mathematician Theon, the last Professor at the University of Alexandria, who tutored her in math, astronomy, and the philosophy of the day which, in modern times, would be considered science. Nothing is known of her mother and there is little information about her life. As the historian Deakin writes, "The most detailed accounts we have of Hypatia's life are the records of her death. We learn more about her death from the primary sources than we do about any other aspect of her life" (49). She was murdered in 415 CE by a Christian mob who attacked her on the streets of Alexandria. The primary sources, even those Christian writers who were hostile to her and claimed she was a witch, portray her as a woman who was widely known for her generosity, love of learning, and expertise in teaching in the subjects of Neo-Platonism, mathematics, science, and philosophy in general.
Most sources and depictions seem to portray her as a Greek, and there's a good chance she was. But what are the odds that, in an environment as multicultural as Roman-controlled Alexandria, that she was a native Egyptian sista?
quote:Nevertheless, our picture of Egypt in the Hellenistic period is skewed by the continued inattention to Demotic sources and indeed, Egyptian traditions and history in general. It is probable that most of the population were Egyptians speaking Egyptian, although there is ample evidence to show that Egyptians became Hellenized and learnt Greek. However, as discussed below, the ethnic distinction is problematic. After the passing of the Roman Empire and the arrival of Christianity, Coptic was used as the language of everyday transactions by much of the population, and thus Egyptian must have continued to be spoken, presumably by those for whom it was a "mother tongue."
I would especially appreciate feedback from people who know a thing or two about Ptolemaic or Roman-controlled Egypt.
Posts: 7069 | From: Fallbrook, CA | Registered: Mar 2004
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^ I've always wondered about that myself. Not only is her name 'Hypatia' Greek but so was that of her father 'Theon'. From all the research I've done years ago on Egypt during the Hellenic Period, most of the Egyptians I've come across who had Greek names were of Greek ancestry either pure Greek or mixed Greek and Egyptian. I wouldn't be surprised if Hypatia was Egyptian through her mother as it was not uncommon for high-ranking Greeks to take 'native' women as concubines ala the Ptolemies. Not to mention that the names of concubines are usually not preserved in texts.
By the way, that Hypatia was labeled as a 'witch' means that either she had knowledge of pharmacology and/or it was merely a label that Christians put on her to denigrate and disrepute her.
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