Many historians believe that at least one of the commentaries attributed to her father, the third book of Theon's version of Ptolemy's Almagest, an astronomical text used widely until the 16th century, was actually written by Hypatia. If you wanted to learn math and astronomy in Alexandria, it helped if your dad was Theon, the last known member of Alexandria's museum (not a museum in the sense we use the word now but more of a "university"). It was awarded the Sloan Feature Film Prize at the Hamptons International Film Festival for its realistic and compelling portrayal of science. Hypatia's death is much better recorded than her life - historians aren't even sure when she was born (sometime around 350 CE). This popularity likely spawned jealousy in archbishop Cyril, already in a foul mood due to a feud with Orestes over control of the city. Hypatia developed commentaries on older works, probably including those by Ptolemy, Diophantus, and Apollonius, in order to make them … If it weren’t for Hypatia, works like On the Conics of Apllonius, which introduces hyperbolas, parabolas, and ellipses, would likely have been forgotten, because their concepts were written in dense jargon – Hypatia was skilled at translating complex mathematical topics in terms the general public could understand. She did not latch on to her father’s teaching, and quickly found … In 415 or 416, a mob of Christian zealots attacked Hypatia's carriage on the streets of Alexandria, dragged her into a church, and violently killed her and burned her body. Festival of Sacrifice: The Past and Present of the Islamic Holiday of Eid al-Adha. Orestes was a Christian, but he didn't think the Christian Church should encroach on "civil government." Will 5G Impact Our Cell Phone Plans (or Our Health?! Hypatia’s Beginnings. Hypatia's brutal death turned her life into a "martyr story" that has been used by scientists, pagans, and atheists throughout the ages as evidence of long-standing discrimination and the "evils" of the Christian Church. If it weren't for Hypatia, works like On the Conics of Apllonius, which introduces hyperbolas, parabolas, and ellipses, would likely have been forgotten, because their concepts were written in dense jargon – Hypatia was skilled at translating complex mathematical topics in terms the general public could understand. She made an important improvement of the astrolabe which improved its use in spherical astronomy. Theon rejected the teachings of Iamblichus and may have taken pride in teaching a pure, Plotinian Neoplatonism. Hypatia contributed in many ways to math, with one of her contributions being that she edited the work on The Conics of Apollonius. This is the concept that developed ideas of parabolas, hyperbolas and ellipses. The film stars Rachel Weisz as Hypatia, and Oscar Isaac as her student. But they didn't have to look far for an easier target - Hypatia regularly traveled around, giving public lectures proudly espousing "pagan" views. Hypatia was one of the first young women in her time to teach and study philosophy, mathematics and astronomy. Even though she was linked to a host of men, she never married and chose to lead a celibate life, perhaps keeping with the ideas on the abolishment of the family system, says the Smithsonian Magazine. That Hypatia was a mathematician is beyond doubt. Why the last? Some people have credited her with developing a device called an astrolabe (an astronomical calculator of sorts). She was the author of a “simplified” version of the Apollonius Conics, which she summarized in 8 books and she assisted her father in the revision of the Elements of Euclid, an edition that is currently used. Tension between religious and secular factions seeking control over the city boiled over in the early 400s, leading to her violent murder and turning her into a martyr for scientists, pagans, and atheists. 6. While travelling abroad in Athens, Greece, Hypatia attended a school where she established her fame as a mathematician. On returning to Alexandria, she was asked to teach mathematics and philosophy at the same institute as her father. She was also a target for other reasons: as a close acquaintance to Orestes, Hypatia likely advised him regarding the feud, and some of Cyril's followers saw her as getting in the way of conflict resolution, even accusing her of using witchcraft to sow divide. She was regarded to be an astronomer and mathematician in her own right, writing commentaries and teaching students from her home. Hypatia was the daughter of the mathematician Theon of Alexandria (c. 335 – c. 405 AD). The mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher Hypatia is considered the first known female mathematician and one of the "last great thinkers" of Alexandria, the sophisticated Ancient Egyptian city. Her public lectures were very popular and attracted huge crowds. Museum of the Moving Image: Sloan Science & Film, Her dramatic death often overshadows her epic life, but it shouldn't. Hypatia's association with "science" and "learning" led her to be labeled a "pagan," a dangerous thing at a time when paganism was seen by many as a kind of "religious rival" threatening to pull people away from Christianity. Hypatia was known more for the work she did in mathematics than in astronomy, primarily for her work on the ideas of conic sections introduced by Apollonius. Unfortunately, these commentaries have been lost - most of what we know about Hypatia's work is from letters to her and passing references in historical accounts. According to classical historian Edward J. 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