November 26, 2025

Stella Malloy 

Notre Dame Catholic Academy

8th Grade

Hypatia of Alexandria, born between 350 C.E. and 370 C.E., was a prominent mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher and one of the first women in all of her field. She is still seen as a martyr for female rights. But even with all her accomplishments, she probably would have been forgotten in time had it not been for her grim death.

Hypatia's father, Theon of Alexandria, was the last member of the Library of Alexandria and a mathematician and philosopher. While not much is known about his life, we do understand that he was a teacher at the Library, taught Hypatia mathematics and public speaking, and wrote several commentaries on works such as Almagest and Handy Tables by Ptolemy. As a result of her father's teachings, she had much more freedom than other women in Roman society. Besides knowing that her father taught her, her childhood is mostly unknown, with even her mother being a mystery. 

When Hypatia got older, she became a teacher, and word of her intelligence spread throughout the Mediterranean. Soon she had scholars from places in Greece, Africa, and Asia coming to hear her teachings of mathematics and astronomy. Along with teaching in distinguished academies, she would also take her lectures to people willing to listen on the streets. In her lectures she taught her students how to use and make an astrolabe. An astrolabe was an ancient device used by sea navigators to measure the time of day and where they were in the sea.  While Hypatia clearly did not invent this device, it was extremely difficult to make one of these, and the fact that Hypatia was able to form one of them is a testament to her intelligence. Along with being a lecturer, she also wrote commentaries on works in mathematics. While it is presumed that she wrote multiple commentaries, only two somewhat survived time, those being Arithmetika by Diophantus and Treatise on the Conics by Apollonius.  Diophantus of Alexandria was the first person to use algebra in a mathematical way that we can identify, and Apollonius was a founder of modern-day geometry, specifically cones. Hypatia, in her commentaries, had a skill to break down complex topics to make them accessible for everyone, most likely the reason she would bring her lectures to people on the streets.  

While Hypatia was a prominent mathematician and astronomer, she was also a philosopher. Her philosophical beliefs were based in her Neoplatonism, a pagan religion that was between other pagan religions and the Christian religion. Despite her religion being close to Christianity, the rise of Christianity in Alexandria caused pagan religions to be slowly phased out. When the new bishop of Alexandria, Cyril, took over, the split in the city between religions grew. Because Hypatia was an outspoken pagan and did not convert to Christianity, hatred grew towards her. All of this led to her being killed by a mob on March 1st, 415. 

Hypatia of Alexandria was one of Rome's last great philosophers, mathematicians, and astronomers, and her legacy lives on today. She is still seen as an amazing mind and is a strong figure in female rights movements.