Hypatia
~360–415 CE · Egyptian-Greek (Alexandria) · Late Roman Empire
Known for: The first great female mathematician-philosopher — murdered by a Christian mob for being smarter than everyone in the room
Hypatia of Alexandria was a Neoplatonist philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer who headed the Platonic school in Alexandria. She was the most prominent intellectual in one of the ancient world's greatest cities, teaching philosophy and mathematics to students of all religions.
She was murdered in 415 CE by a Christian mob, likely at the instigation of Bishop Cyril of Alexandria. She was stripped, beaten with roof tiles, and her body was burned. Her death has been interpreted as a symbol of the conflict between reason and religious fanaticism.
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