|
 Dear
Future People by Anne
Nolting
Dear Future People is a novel which describes the
climax of the Hellenic Age in Egypt. Events follow historic accounts of
the civil war between Rome and Constantinople, the destruction of the
Temple of Serapis, the ethnic cleansing and massacre of Gothic youth,
and a trip down the Nile to seek a prophesy for Emperor Theodosius.
Hypatia, a woman, was destined to stand at the center of this time of
political power struggle. In translation, quotes from the period are
woven into the story.
Hypatia was born in the later part of the Roman
Empire, an era when women were not free to pursue careers. This was a
time when orthodox belief effectively wiped out centuries of scientific
discovery. Ancient Greek works were torched and scholars were murdered.
Hypatia was the last proprietor of the Hellenic Age wonder, the Library
of Alexandria. She is portrayed as a young adult facing the issues of a
changing world. The reader will discover uncanny parallels to many
current situations within the United States and, indeed, the world.
Hypatia, a real, historically documented heroine, is a find for today's
young adults who are searching for strong, non-fiction role models.
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here to read more about this book
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Hypatia was the daughter of Theon, who was considered one of
the most educated men of his time in Alexandria, Egypt. Throughout her childhood, Theon
raised Hypatia in an environment of thought. Theon himself was a well known scholar; a
professor in mathematics at the University of Alexandria. Theon and Hypatia formed a
strong bond as he taught Hypatia his own knowledge and shared his passion in the search
for answers to the unknown. As Hypatia grew older, she began to develop an enthusiasm for
mathematics and the sciences (astronomy and astrology)...
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Page from the University of Utah. Michael Deakin calls
her the "pre-eminent mathematician of her time", and "the first noted woman
mathematician". She was also a brilliant lecturer. Her philosophy was
neoplatonist,
with religious undertones. This ultimately led to her death at the hands of a
Christian mob...
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Hypatia is the earliest woman scientist whose works have been
documented. As a young woman, she traveled to Athens and Italy. Upon her return to
Alexandria, she became a philosopher and mathematician. She was appointed to expound the
doctrines of Plato and Aristotle and was a noted lecturer on the subjects of mathematics,
astronomy, philosophy, and mechanics.
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In 412 Cyril (later St. Cyril) became patriarch of
Alexandria. A few years later, according to one report, Hypatia was brutally murdered by
the Nitrian monks who were a fanatical sect of Christians who were supporters of Cyril.
According to another account (by Socrates Scholasticus) she was killed by an Alexandrian
mob under the leadership of the reader Peter...
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This site is small, but includes the following: Hypatia's
works include:
 | A Commentary on the Arithmetica of Diophantus |
| A Commentary on the Conics of Apollonious |
| She edited the third book of her father's Commentary on the Almagest of Ptolemy |
Resources
Recommended Reading
| "Hypatia: Mathematician, Astronomer, and Philosopher" by Nancy
Nietupski in Alexandria 2. An
admirable discussion of the known facts and implications. |
| Hypatia of Alexandria by Maria Dzielska. Harvard: Harvard University Press,
1995. |
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This small page is from 4,000 Years of Women in Science.
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At Biographies of Women in
Mathematics
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From Damascius's Life of
Isidore
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By Socrates Scholasticus, from his Ecclesiastical History
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