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Hypatia of Alexandria

Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Hypatia of Alexandria explores the life and death of Hypatia, a brilliant mathematician and Neoplatonist philosopher in fourth-century Alexandria. Renowned for her intellect and beauty, she was brutally murdered by a Christian mob in 415 AD, an event symbolising the clash between pagan culture and rising Christianity. Maria Dzielska searches beyond legend to reveal Hypatia's real story, detailing the vibrant, multicultural world she inhabited, her role as a teacher to prominent pupils like Synesius of Cyrene, and the complex social and religious tensions of the era.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This compelling biography suits readers interested in philosophy, ancient history, and women's studies. It will particularly appeal to those curious about the intersection of culture, religion, and intellectual freedom in late antiquity, as well as anyone seeking to understand the historical figure behind the enduring legend of Hypatia.

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Hypatia—brilliant mathematician, eloquent Neoplatonist, and a woman renowned for her beauty—was brutally murdered by a mob of Christians in Alexandria in 415 and has been a legend ever since. In this engrossing book, Dzielska searches behind the legend to bring us the real story of Hypatia's life and death, and new insight into her colorful world.

This book is an important monograph for anyone with an interest in the fourth and fifth century Alexandria, its social life, church history, neo-Platonism and mathematics. The book reads well and for this the translator must be congratulated. -- Leonora Jackson, Scholia: Natal Studies in Classical Antiquity

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Hypatia of Alexandria—brilliant mathematician, eloquent Neoplatonist, and a woman renowned for her beauty—was brutally murdered by a mob of Christians in Alexandria in 415. She has been a legend ever since. In this engrossing book, Maria Dzielska searches behind the legend to bring us the real story of Hypatia's life and death, and new insight into her colourful world.

Historians and poets, Victorian novelists and contemporary feminists have seen Hypatia as a symbol—of the waning of classical culture and freedom of inquiry, of the rise of fanatical Christianity, or of sexual freedom. Dzielska shows us why versions of Hypatia’s legend have served her champions' purposes, and how they have distorted the true story.

She takes us back to the Alexandria of Hypatia's day, with its Library and Museion, pagan cults and the pontificate of Saint Cyril, thriving Jewish community and vibrant Greek culture, and circles of philosophers, mathematicians, astronomers, and militant Christians. Drawing on the letters of Hypatia's most prominent pupil, Synesius of Cyrene, Dzielska constructs a compelling picture of the young philosopher's disciples and her teaching.

Finally, she plumbs her sources for the facts surrounding Hypatia's cruel death, clarifying what the murder tells us about the tensions of this tumultuous era.

Series: Revealing Antiquity

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  • Hypatia of Alexandria
    Hypatia of Alexandria—brilliant mathematician, eloquent Neoplatonist, and a woman renowned for her beauty—was brutally murdered by a mob of Christians in Alexandria in 415. She has been a legend ever since. In this engrossing book, Maria Dzielska searches behind the legend to bring us the real story of Hypatia's life and death, and new insight into her colourful world. Historians...
    Paperback
    $6399
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised as a meticulously researched academic work, this book has been called “the last word on a subject that has fascinated for centuries” by the New York Times Book Review. Critics admire Dzielska's patient sifting of original sources and her subtle reading of ancient texts, offering a powerful, persuasive, and engaging account of Hypatia’s life and philosophy. The Nation notes the demystification of longstanding legends, while the Science journal highlights the finesse in describing her philosophy. The book is regarded as both pithy and compelling.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780674437760

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 October 1996

Country: United States

Imprint: Harvard University Press

Contributors:

  • Translated by F. Lyra
  • Translated by F. Lyra

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 227g

Pages: 176

About the Author

Maria Dzielska, an internationally recognized authority on the cultural life of the Roman Empire, was Professor of Ancient Roman History at Jagiellonian University in Kraków.

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