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BADASS WOMEN OF THE ANCIENT WORLD: HYPATIA OF ALEXANDRIA (CA 360 - 415 AD)

Daughter of the mathematician Theon, Hypatia was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher. She was educated in Athens but is more famously linked to the city of Alexandria, in Egypt, where she was born. It was in Alexandria that she taught, becoming the head of the Neoplatonist School of the city, and it was there that she met her tragic end.

From a young age Hypatia was encouraged by her father to work on both body and mind. She was sent to Athens, where she studied the works of the great philosophers of the city, later returning to Alexandria to teach and eventually become the head of the city's Neoplatonist School.

Never marrying, Hypatia was able to dedicate all her time and energy to the study of philosophy, mathematics, literature, oratory and astronomy. She was also an inventor.

Hypatia lived in a time of change: during her lifetime the Roman empire was in obvious decline, at the same time that the Christian faith saw a unparalleled rise in its power and popularity. It was in this context that the philosopher became involved in a feud between Orestes, the prefect of Alexandria and Hypatia's personal friend, and Cyril, the Bishop of Alexandria.

The tensions in Alexandria increasingly rose. Cyril was against Hypatia, her free thinking and her support of Orestes, and started to spread rumors about her. Hypatia was called a witch, a worshipper of Satan and was blamed for the situation with Orestes. In 415 she ultimately became the target of Christian anger and was murdered by an angry mob.