Abstract
An attempt is made to give a general outline of the place and role of Hypatia of Alexandria in the history of the Late Antique school and scholarship. Having become the successor to her father, Theon, she run the school, in which philosophy, mathematics and astronomy were taught. This school should be distinguished from the Alexandrian philosophical school of Neoplatonism, which was created by Hierocles and Hermias and reformed by Edesia. Hypatia differs from other scientists and teachers of Alexandria because she could work simultaneously in several branches of knowledge. Hypatia’s main mission was apparently teaching. Synesios, the Bishop of Ptolemais in Cyrene, is the most famous of a known number of her students. Hypatia played an important role in the municipal government of Alexandria, was close to the fi rst offi cials of the city. She also had extensive contacts with representatives of the provincial administration. Being a pagan, Hypatia did not focus on religious issues, confessing “Plotinus’s” Neoplatonism, and not “Iamblichus’s”, accompanied by active religious practices. Therefore, at her school, both pagans and Christians were trained. The intensifi cation of social and religious confl icts in connection with the coming to power of Patriarch Cyril in 415 led to street riots in which Hypatia was killed. The compromise between the higher school with the classical model of education and the Christian church was achieved in Alexandria only 70 years later. Domestic historical science took very little interest in Hypatia’s legacy. There is neither a single monograph nor analytical article, except M.M. Kazakov’s essay. The rest of the article is of a scientifi c and popular nature. A number of works by M. Dzelska, E. Watts, M. Deakin, C. Minardi has been devoted to the world science of Hypatia. The researchers are faced with the task of actualizing the heritage of the late-antique scientist and teacher, the comprehensive study of the place and role in the culture of Early Byzantine Empire.
Keywords
Hypatia, philosophy, scholar, Alexandria, Late antiquity, Early Byzantine Empire, Synesios
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