MARIA MORAIS

HYPATHIA: UMA MULHER QUE DESAFIOU O TEMPO E

OS HOMENS

Projecto de Investigação
1. Tema geral: Personalidades da Antiguidade
2. Tema específico: Vida e Obra de Hypatia de Alexandria
3. Título do trabalho: Hypatia: A Deusa Racional
4. Pergunta a que o trabalho responde: Quem foi Hypatia e qual o seu papel na nossa história.
5. Programa: Averiguar quem era e qual o contexto sociocultural onde floresceu. Descrever a sua
influência e importância na sociedade e no avanço da Matemática, Filosofia e Astronomia.

Maria Guerreiro Morais

12º3, nº12

Estoril, 4 de Dezembro 2009

Escola Secundária de São João do Estoril

ÁREA DE PROJECTO

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IDENTIDADE

“Hypatia, the much loved pagan philosopher of Alexandria, Egypt, has long been acknowledged
as the symbol of the passing of the old ways and the triumph of the new.”(Mark, 2009)

Hypatia, filósofa, matemática e astrónoma, ficou na história como sendo a primeira mulher,
alguma vez documentada, a contribuir tão largamente e publicamente para o desenvolvimento
da matemática, da filosofia e da astronomia, e a ter tanta importância e influência na sociedade
da sua época (Adair, 1995).
Os anos em que nasceu e morreu têm vindo a ser amplamente discutidos. Apesar da data do
seu falecimento ser geralmente aceite como 415 DC, há grande discórdia em relação ao seu
nascimento: “Some historians believe that Hypatia was born in the year 370 AD. On the other
hand, others argue that she was an older woman (around 60) at the time of her death, thus
making her birth in the year 355 AD.” (Adair, 1995).

Sobre a sua família só se tem conhecimento do seu pai, Theon de Alexandria, filósofo, professor
de matemática e o último director do Museu de Alexandria, Egipto, do qual faziam parte
inúmeras escolas e a grande Biblioteca (Mark, 2009). Theon, homem extremamente culto e
brilhante matemático, educou a sua filha em literatura, ciência e filosofia, partilhando com ela a
paixão e entusiasmo pelo conhecimento (Adair, 1995), chegando até a atribuir-lhe créditos na
escrita de algumas das suas obras (New World Encyclopedia): “Hypatia helped her father in
writing commentaries on these works and, in time, wrote her own works and lectured
extensively, becoming a woman of note in a culture dominated by male writers and thinkers.”
(Mark, 2009).

VIDA E OBRA

"Hypatia was a remarkably gifted woman. Her example demonstrates how all difficulties yield
to a strong will. Being a girl, and excluded by the conventions of the time from intellectual
pursuits, she could have given many reasons why she should leave philosophy to stronger and
freer minds. But she had an all-compelling passion for the life of the mind, which overcame
every obstacle that interfered with her purpose. The example of a young woman conquering
tremendous difficulties, and becoming the undisputed queen of an intellectual empire, ought
to be a great inspiration to us faint hearts. She won the prize which was denied her sex, and
became "the glory of her age and the wonder of ours.”(Mangasarian, 1915).

“Hypatia's studies included astronomy, astrology, and mathematics. References in letters by

Synesius, one of Hypatia's students, credit Hypatia with the invention of the astrolabe, a device
used in studying astronomy. However, other sources date this instrument back at least a
century earlier. Claudius Ptolemy wrote extensively on the projection used on the plane
astrolabe, and Hypatia's father wrote an astrolabe treatise that was the basis for much of what
was written later in the Middle Ages. Hypatia did teach about astrolabes as Synesius had an
instrument made that was argueably a form of astrolabe.” (Adair, 1995).

Apesar de nenhuma prova escrita do seu trabalho ter sobrevivido ao tempo, foram-lhe
atribuídas várias obras por fontes posteriores: “several works are attributed to her by later
sources, including commentaries on Diophantus's Arithmetica, on Apollonius's Conics and on
Ptolemy's works.” (…) “The only primary source for personal information about Hypatia is The
Letters of Synesius of Cyrene, written to her by one of her students, Synesius, the Bishop of

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Ptolemais. Several of these letters are still in existence. Two contemporary Christian historians,
Socrates Scholasticus of Constantinople and Philostorgius of Cappadocia, left written accounts
of her life and violent death.” (New World Encyclopedia).

Após ter atingido a maturidade, Hypatia passou de aluna a professora, ensinando Matemática e
Filosofia, e atraindo pessoas vindas de todo o império: “She received pupils in her home, and
gave public lectures in Athens and in Alexandria. Hypatia became head of the Platonist school
at Alexandria around 400 C.E., where she lectured on mathematics and philosophy.” (New
World Encyclopedia). “Her great eloquence and rare modesty and beauty, combined with her
remarkable intellectual gifts, attracted to her class- room a large number of pupils.” (Britannica
Encyclopedia).

Hypatia é frequentemente descrita como uma mulher de uma beleza rara, entusiasticamente
envolvida no campo da Filosofia, dando palestras em locais que não eram habitualmente
frequentados por mulheres. Incitava as pessoas a pensar livremente e a falar abertamente de
assuntos que não era costume abordar publicamente na sociedade da época (Mark, 2009).
“Hypatia dressed in the clothing of a scholar or teacher, rather than in women's clothing. She
moved about freely, driving her own chariot, contrary to the norm for women's public
behavior. She exerted considerable political influence in the city.” (New World Encyclopedia).

Hypatia, pela sua sabedoria e modéstia, era extremamente requisitada pelas mais importantes
figuras da sua época - “In the bloom of beauty, and in the maturity of wisdom, the modest maid
[Hypatia] refused her lovers and instructed her disciples; the persons most illustrious for their
rank or merit were impatient to visit the female philosopher.” (Gibbon, 1776-1788). Tendo
ainda em consideração a sua grande popularidade, Joshua Mark acrescenta: “Hypatia was a
beautiful, chaste and brilliant woman. Even her detractors, and later defenders of Cyril,
admitted she was a virtuous, wise and noble philosopher. The historian Durant calls her "the
most interesting figure in the science of this age" and reports that, "She was so fond of
philosophy that she would stop in the streets and explain, to any who asked, difficult points in
Plato or Aristotle" (Durant, 122).” (Mark, 2009).

ALEXANDRIA: CONTEXTO SÓCIO-CULTURAL

“By the late fourth century the Roman empire was divided and beset, officially Christian, but
holding within its sway various others: Jews, heretical sects, diverse schools of neoplatonists
and other assorted "pagans" - and all of them at one another's throats.” (Deakin, 1997).

Hypatia viveu em Alexandria durante estas mesmas circunstâncias: o Cristianismo começava a

dominar sobre todas outras religiões e tumultos rebentavam frequentemente (Adair, 1995).

Por outro lado, a ciência era frequentemente vista como uma previsão do futuro. No entanto,
para a pessoa comum da altura, esta previsão tendia a referir-se ao seu futuro imediato, não
envolvendo fenómenos naturais, o movimento dos planetas, etc. Desta lacuna resultou o
aparecimento da astrologia e da numerologia, bem como de toda uma classe de pessoas que
abusavam destes princípios com o objectivo de obter dinheiro. Como consequência,
matemáticos e cientistas respeitáveis, como é o caso de Hypatia, foram postos na mesma
categoria que os outros, todos sob o rótulo de matemáticos (Deakin, 1997).

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“Alexandria, Egypt, had long been (since its founding by Alexander the Great) a seat of learning
and a place of pilgrimage for philosophers and thinkers from all over the known world. The
great Library, housing over 20,000 scrolls and books, was a major attraction for intellectuals”
(Mark, 2009). Apesar de tudo isto, Alexandria não perdeu a sua tradição intelectual, havendo
inúmeras pessoas a afluir à cidade para assistir às palestras dadas.

A SUA MORTE

“Hypatia, an exceptional philosopher, mathematician and high profile public figure of late
fourth and early fifth century Alexandria, ironically owes her fame in history to the violent and
politically contentious nature of her death in 415 AD.” (Dzielska, 1996).

Vários historiadores ofereceram várias explicações para o ataque, sendo dada frequentemente
a resposta de que foi uma tentativa da Igreja Cristã de banir o paganismo institucional (New
World Encyclopedia).

Por outro lado as suas relações de amizade com alguns membros importantes da sociedade são
também dadas como causas prováveis para o seu assassinato: “Nowhere was the divide more
clearly seen in 415 CE than between Orestes, the Pagan Prefect of Alexandria and Cyril, the
Archbishop of Alexandria (who lead the Christian mobs against the Jews of Alexandria.” (…)
“Orestes maintained his Paganism in the face of Christianity and cultivated a close relationship
with Hypatia which Cyril, perhaps, blamed for Orestes' refusal to submit to the 'true' faith and
become a Christian. Tensions between the two men, and their supporters, grew increasingly
high as each brushed off the other's advances of reconciliation and peace.” (Mark, 2009)

Estes rumores suportam a versão de Sócrates Escolástico: “Socrates Scholasticus, a

contemporary historian, indicated that Hypatia was killed because Christian fanatics thought
that her influence with Orestes, the Prefect of Alexandria, stood in the way of his cooperation
with the Bishop Cyrus.” (Mark, 2009). Sobre Cirilo de Alexandria, Sócrates refere ainda na sua
obra Ecclesiastical History: "is more delighted with tumult than any other people: and if at any
time it should find a pretext, breaks forth into the most intolerable excesses; for it never ceases
from its turbulence without bloodshed.".

Para além de toda esta tenção entre facções religiosas, a verdade é que Hypatia era uma
mulher que desafiava diariamente não só as normas sociais reservadas ao sexo feminino mas
também as normas religiosas impostas na altura. Hypatia atraía, então, muita atenção que, aos
olhos dos governantes era vista como um insulto.

Assim, no dia fatal, Hypatia foi arrancada da sua carruagem, despida, arrastada para a igreja
(Caesareum) e desumanamente massacrada pelas mãos de uma multidão de cristãos fanáticos.
Depois de rasgar o seu corpo em pedaços, tomaram os seus membros e queimaram-nos (Mark,
2009).

Anos depois da sua morte, Hypatia foi por vezes retratada como uma feiticeira com objectivos
perversos por escritoires cristãos: “And in those days there appeared in Alexandria a female
philosopher, a pagan named Hypatia, and she was devoted at all times to magic, astrolabes and
instruments of music, and she beguiled many people through Satanic wiles. The governor of the
city [Orestes] honored her exceedingly; for she had beguiled him through her magic. And he
ceased attending church as had been his custom....And he not only did this, but he drew many
believers to her, and he himself received the unbelievers at his house" (Bishop of Nikiu, 1916).
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No entanto, a sua sabedoria, beleza e modéstia continuaram a ser admiradas por outros ao
longo de muitos anos - “Hypatia was a beautiful, chaste and brilliant woman. Even her
detractors, and later defenders of Cyril, admitted she was a virtuous, wise and noble
philosopher. The historian Durant calls her "the most interesting figure in the science of this
age" and reports that, "She was so fond of philosophy that she would stop in the streets and
explain, to any who asked, difficult points in Plato or Aristotle" (Durant, 122).” (Mark, 2009).

“Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all” Hypatia.

BIBLIOGRAFIA DE BASE:

Adair, Ginny (1995) “Hypatia” in Biographies of Women Mathematicians. Online in

http://www.agnesscott.edu/Iriddle/women/hypatia.htm, consultado em 2.01.2010

Anónimo (2006) Hypatia of Alexandria. Online in

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Hypatia, consultado em 2.01.2010

Anónimo (s.d.) “Hypatia” in Science and Technology. Online in

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/279463/Hypatia, consultado em 27.12.2009.

Deakin, Michael (1997) “Hypatia of Alexandria” from Radio National Transcripts. Online in
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ockham/or030897.htm, consultado em 2.01.2010

Dzielska, Maria (1995) Hypatia of Alexandria,translated by F.Lyra. Cambridge: Harvard

University Press

Escolástico, Sócrates (1995) Ecclesiastical History, translated by Michael Deakin. Monash:

University Press

Gibbon, Edward (1776-1788) “The killing of Hypatia” (Chapter XLVII), from The Decline and Fall
of the Roman Empire.

Mangasarian, Mangasar (1915) “The martyrdom of Hypatia, or, The death of the classical
world”, The Rationalist. Chicago: Independent Religious Society of Chicago

Mark, Joshua (2009) Hypatia of Alexandria: The Passage from Philosophy to Religion, from Plato
to Christ. Online in http://western-philosophy.suite101.com/article.cfm/hypatia_of_alexandria
, consultado em 26.12.2009

Nikiu, John of (1916) The Chronicle of John, Bishop of Nikiu translated by R. H. Charles. Williams
& Norgate

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