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A rare female scholar of the Roman Empire, Hypatia lived and died as a secular voice

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Born in the Eastern Roman Empire in the 4th century CE, Hypatia of Alexandria was a widely respected female public intellectual, which was a rarity in ancient Roman society. As a teacher and philosopher, she led Alexandria’s Platonic school, embracing Neoplatonism – a belief system that saw the harmonies of mathematics as a window into the divine. And, as an advisor to powerful local leaders, she was a moderate secular voice amid Roman Christianisation. However, as illustrated in this TED-Ed animation, it was this role that would ultimately lead to her gruesome murder at the hands of religious zealots. A concise chronicle of Hypatia’s life and times, the short also makes for an intriguing window into the political, religious and philosophical forces that shaped Alexandria during this tumultuous era.

Video by TED-Ed

Director: Biljana Labovic

Writer: Soraya Field Fiorio

8 May 2024
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