There is a growing interest in the history of astronomy, and
I caught the bug. This week we
will go back to 4th century Egypt to consider Hypatai, often called the first
female astronomer. She came to a
tragic end due, in large part, to her influence as a scholar, but first let's
hear about her life and accomplishments.
Hypatia lived in an enlightened era of Egyptian history when
reason and philosophy were highly respected. Her father, Theon, was a mathematician, astronomer and
philosopher. He was director of
the Museum of Alexandria and widely respected. Hypatia was born in about 370 AD. She was well brought up
and sent to Athens for schooling.
There she was educated in the philosophies of Plato and Plotinus. She returned to Egypt and became head
of the Platonist school of Alexandria.
Egypt had a tradition of equality of the sexes since ancient
times and Hypatia became an important scholar of her age. She was described by a contemporary in
this interesting quote that I found on Wikipedia:
"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."
Hypatia's contribution to astronomy was in producing early
maps of objects in the sky. She is
associated with the early development of scientific instruments such as the
hydrometer and astrolabe.
In this period of Egyptian history, there was a great deal
of political and religious strife.
Hypatia was an influential advisor of the governor of Alexandria who
became involved in a bitter feud with the Bishop of Alexandria. In spring of 415, she was riding
peacefully in her carriage when a mob of the Bishop's supporters grabbed her
and dragged her through the city to a church. There she was beaten and her skin scraped from her body to
death.
It was a tragic end, but Hypatia's students fled to Athens
and continued her tradition of scholarship. She is now considered an important figure in philosophy and
the first well-documented female mathematician and astronomer.
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