Hypatia of Alexandria
Bright Mind, Wrong Time
1Mystery surrounds Hypatia's life. She was a bright girl who lived at the wrong time. She didn't do anything wrong, but she would have probably been safer if she had lived centuries later. Hypatia was the first woman who made substantial contributions to the world of mathematics.
2Hypatia was born in Alexandria, Egypt in about 370 A.D. Her father, who was a mathematician and a philosopher, gave her constant support. Theon was one of the brightest men in Alexandria. He was a professor at the University of Alexandria, and he taught his daughter well. Legends say that she quickly surpassed her father in understanding, so Hypatia must have been a good student!
3Hypatia lived in one of the most exciting places in the world. Scholars and philosophers lived in bustling Alexandria, where trade and commerce also thrived. Theon surrounded Hypatia with learning and books. Not much is known about her early life, but by the time she was thirty years old, she was the head of an influential school in the city. It is hard to imagine how a woman of her time rose to such a prestigious position, but Hypatia must have had a strong personality.
4Hypatia had a strong body to match her brilliant mind. Her father encouraged her to follow a routine of physical exercise. Even brilliant Egyptian mathematicians had gym class! He also taught her all about the religions of the world so she could understand all different kinds of people. She became articulate as well as excellent with numbers. According to legend, Hypatia was smart, beautiful, eloquent, and modest. Unfortunately, she also became the object of persecution after she had made her own remarkable contributions in mathematics.
5Hypatia loved mathematics, astronomy, and astrology. One of her students credited her with the invention of the astrolabe, which was used in astronomy. Based on her writings about geometric shapes such as hyperbolas, parabolas, and ellipses, we can assume that Hypatia had excellent visual-spatial ability and would have tested high on a modern I. Q. test. She edited a book on these shapes that had complicated mathematical ideas in it. She made these concepts much easier for the average person to understand. Her writings later influenced other mathematicians like Descartes, Newton, and Leibniz.
6Known as a charismatic and brilliant teacher, Hypatia also lectured on the ideas of Neoplatonism. This school of thought combined Christian, Jewish, and East Asian ideas. Many Christians were angered at having their ideas combined with other philosophies. They thought of her as a pagan. A pagan was considered to be a person who had no religion.
7Alexandrites hotly debated religion during Hypatia's lifetime. Many riots happened in the city over religious issues. She was the friend of Orestes, who was the civil governor of Alexandria. Cyril, a Christian leader, hated Orestes. He also spread nasty rumors about the female mathematician. These rumors upset many Christians. Unfortunately, one day their anger spilled over.
8An angry Christian mob violently murdered Hypatia in 415 A.D. Her mysterious, brilliant life ended tragically, but her work lived on as a clear light of inspiration for many mathematical discoveries in the future.
Name ______P_____ Date ______
Your Score______PSSA RC1 Hypatia of AlexandriaPossible__11_
Hypatia of Alexandria - Bright Mind, Wrong Time
1. / In what area was Hypatia's major contribution?Astronomy
Chemistry
Math
Astrology
/ 2. / Where did Hypatia grow up?
Bethlehem
Alexandria
Rome
Constantinople
3. / Which philosophy did Hypatia lecture about?
Realism
Buddhism
Classicism
Neoplatonism
/ 4. / What ability did Hypatia seem to possess in a high degree?
Literary
Visual-spatial
Artistic
Musical
5. / Who did Hypatia influence later? Check all that apply.
Newton
Leibniz
Kepler
Descartes
/ 6. / What government official did Hypatia befriend?
The mayor
The governor
The emperor
The senator
7. / Which group persecuted Hypatia?
Christians
Muslims
Romans
Greeks
/ 8. / When did Hypatia die?
415 A.D.
1000 A.D.
300 A.D.
415 B.C.
9. / What is an astrolabe?
the answer should involve something abo
Hypatia of Alexandria - Bright Mind, Wrong Time - Answer Key
Answers:
1Math
2Alexandria
3Neoplatonism
4Visual-spatial
5A,B,andD
6The governor
7Christians
8415 A.D.
9An astrolabe is an instrument that was used to calculate the position of celestial bodies.
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