Technikatörténeti szemle 20. (1993)

TANULMÁNYOK - Schiller Vera: Hüpatia

11. A. A. Vasiliev m.f. I. 198. 12. Praechter: Hypatla RE IX. 242-249 13. J. M. Risk: Hypatla Pholnlx 19, 1965 (214-225) 14. E. Evrard m.f. 122 15. Kákosy László: Egyiptomi és antik csillaghit. Budapest. 1978. 71. 16. Anthologia Palatina IX. 400. VERA SCHILLER: HYPATIA This study treats the life and death of Hypatla of Alexandria. The Neoplatonist woman-philosopher Hypatla (b. AD 370 - d. AD 415) had been a devotee of pagan attitude toward life, that of the so-called „Holy Syncreatism". Because of her pagan doctrines she was barbarously murdered in the street by a fanatical mob supposedly on the instructions of Cyril, the then patriarch of Alexandria. Notwithstanding that she was a woman, Hypatla enjoyed high reputation, taught philosophy and created scientific works In the field of astronomy, mathematics and geometry. Her death has been reported by both the Greek Neoplatonist Damascius' text fragments remained in the SOUDA Lexicon and writings of several church historians, though the latters refuse to accept that Cyril had had an unambiguous responsibility in the case. The picture bursting upon our eyes from the sources makes it clear that Hypatia was a reputed philosopher, her being murdered caused consternation and the fact that murders went unpunished.