The Life and Death of Hypatia: Socrates Scholasticus Historia Ecc. 7.15

The world is a violent place right now. Please stay safe, and continue to stay vigilant against bigots.

Content Warning: murder, violence

Mulier quaedam fuit Alexandriae, nomine Hypatia, Theonis philosophi filia. Haec ad tantam eruditionem pervenerat, ut omnes sui temporis philosophos longo intervallo superaret et in Platonicam scholam a Plotino deductam succederet cunctasque philosophiae disciplinas auditoribus exponeret. Quocirca omnes philosophiae studiosi ad illam undique confluebant. Porro praeter fiduciam atque auctoritatem, quam sibi ex eruditione comparaverat, interdum quoque cum singulari modestia ad iudices accedebat. Neque vero pudor erat ipsi, in media hominum frequentia apparere.

Nam ob eximiam ipsius modestiam, omnes eam reverebantur simul, ac suscipiebant. Hanc igitur e tempore adortus est invidiae livor. Nam quoniam cum Oreste crebrius colloquebatur, hinc concinnata est adversus eam calumnia apud plebem Christianorum, quasi per ipsam staret, quominus inter Cyrillum, atque Orestem amicitia reconciliaretur. 

Quidam igitur viri ardentioribus animis praediti, quorum dux erat Petrus quidam Lector, conspiratione facta mulierem observant, domum nescio unde redeuntem. Eamque e sella detractam, ad Ecclesiam, quae Caesareum cognominatur, rapiunt & vestibus exutam, testis interemerunt. Cumque membratim eam discerpsissent, membra in locum quem Cinaronem vocant, comportata incendio consumpserunt. Ea res tum Cyrillo,tum Alexandrinorum Ecclesiae non mediocre attulit probrum. Etenim ab instituto Christianorum prorsus alienae sunt caedes & pugnae & quaecunque alia eiusmodi. Gesta sunt haec anno quarto Episcopatus Cyrilli, Honorio decimum &Theodosio sextum Consulibus, mense Martio, tempore ieiuniorum.

 --Socrates Scholasticus, Historia Eccles. 7.15; Translation into Latin by Henricus Valesius 1747 [Greek text forthcoming]

 

There was a certain woman in Alexandria named Hypatia, who was the daughter of the philosopher Theon. She attained such wisdom that she completely surpassed every philosopher of her generation. She was trained in Neoplatonism [the ways of Plotinus], and taught her students all of the aspects of this type of philosophy; many of her students flocked to her classes from all over. Because of her poise and all of the knowledge and wisdom which she attained from her studies, she was often sought by local magistrates. Moreover, she was not bashful in their presence, or afraid to appear in the presence of a large crowd.

Because Hypatia was so highly regarded, everyone revered her and welcomed her, but this did put a target on her back (as happened frequently at that time). Since she spent so much time with Orestes, many Christians accused her of interfering with the reconciliation of his friendship with Cyril.

A group of religious zealots under the leadership of a lector named Peter plotted Hypatia’s death. While she was travelling back to her house, they pulled her out of her chariot and dragged her back to the church (the one called Caesareum). They stripped naked and killed her with tiles. Then they dismembered her and brought the pieces to a place called Cinaron, where they cremated them. This crime besmirched the reputation of not only Cyril, but also the entire Alexandrian Church system, for these murders, riots and other acts of violence of this kind are repugnant to the institution of Christianity.

Hypatia’s death occurred in the fourth year of Cyril’s episcopate, during the tenth year of Honorius’ consulship and the sixth consulship of Theodosius, in the month of March, during Lent.

SOCRATES SCHOLASTICUS	MAP:
Name:  Socrates Scholasticus Date:  380 – 439 CE Works:  Ecclesiastical History	REGION  5
BIO:	Timeline:
Socrates Scholasticus was a historian from Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey) who lived during the 4th and early 5th century CE. His Ecclesiastical History covers history of the Church from 305 to 439 CE.	POST CONSTANTINOPLE