Hypatia Research Paper

Described as a beautiful and well proportioned woman, Hypatia was a woman able to make a profound difference in the mathematics and science of the present day. Hypatia is believed to be the most notable and prominent women in mathematics until Marie Curie. The exact birth year of Hypatia is highly debated, but the most common theory is that she was born in 370 A.D.her father was Theon of Alexandria. Theon was a professor at the university of Alexandria. Very little is known of Hypatia's mother. According to legend, Theon desired to make Hypatia into the "perfect" human being. Whether that is true or not, he versed his daughter well in all areas of study. These studies included: the arts, literature, science, and philosophy. She was also put through a rigorous physical training such as rowing, swimming, and horseback riding. Hypatia also learned speech, enhancing her ability to explain her knowledge to those around her. Some believe that Hypatia surpassed her fathers knowledge at a young age. This may have been a key factor in her decision to travel to study in Athens. At this point her interests were in astronomy, astrology, mathematics, and philosophy. …show more content…
She was caught in a time of religious struggle in Alexandria, and her beliefs and curiosity led her to her death. In 412 A.D. Cyril became the Patriarch of Egypt. Paired with the flood of Christianity there was no room for argument with the religious hierarchy. Unrest grew amongst the Christians, Jews, and pagans; Cyril saw this as the perfect opportunity and blamed the unrest on Hypatia. In March of 415 A.D. a religious mob caught Hypatia on her way to the university. They yanked her from her chariot, stripped her, and drug her to the church. Here they butchered her body and burned the