Neoplatonist Philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria

Hypatia was a Neoplatonist philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, then part of the Roman Empire. This was the time of newly Christianized Rome, though there were still practicing pagans at the same time, Hypatia being a prominent example. She was a well known thinker in Alexandria where she taught philosophy and astronomy. The Alexandria of her day (350-415 AD) was ruled from Latin Rome, but the cultural and financial elites were mostly Greek or Jewish.

Her Neoplatonic view of the world was monotheistic, which may sound confusing, as she was neither a Christian nor a Jew. However, her view of religion was based on The One, which was the universal soul, of which each one of us is but a small portion. The study of mathematics and astronomy were seen as guides to a better understanding of The One, and therefore, somewhat like the Pythagoreans, topics like geometry had a religious as well as strictly mathematical inspiration. This view was similar to that of many Christians at the time, but not all. For example, this was also the time of Augustine of Hippo, a former Neoplatonic thinker himself, who, after conversion to Christianity, took many of the ideas of the Neoplatonic school and incorporated them into Church doctrine.

Alexandria also had a large and growing Coptic Christian population. The early church in Alexandria was wracked with internal political struggles, which sometimes spilled into riots in the streets between factions. As well, there was an ongoing struggle between the Christians and the Jews in Alexandria, which turned into weeks long street battles between the two groups.

So, into this three way struggle, the Roman leadership attempted to govern the city. Hypatia advised Orestes, the Roman prefect of Alexandria, who was in the midst of a political feud with Cyril, the Coptic bishop of Alexandria. Rumors spread accusing her of preventing Orestes from reconciling with Cyril and, in March 415 AD, she was murdered by a mob of Christians. Hypatia's murder shocked the empire and transformed her into a "martyr for philosophy".