"In a frightening glimpse of what lay ahead for women in the coming centuries of Christian domination, consider the terrible fate of the last pagan woman philosopher: Hypatia of Alexandria. There are but a few women philosophers from ancient times who are known by name. Hypatia is the most renowned, thanks to Christian fanaticism and intolerance.
She was born in Alexandria towards the end of the fourth century, the daughter of the mathematician Theon, who commentators say excelled in ability and intelligence to ‘far surpass all the philosophers of her own time.’ She wrote commentaries on the geometry of Apollonius and Diophantus, played music, taught Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy at Athens and Alexandria, where she opened an academy, and published a work on astronomy. Hypatia was something of an ascetic, and though described as ‘beautiful and shapely’, remained chaste and virginal.
From one source we learn that when one of her students fell so madly in love with her that he exposed himself to her, in order to cure him of his infatuation she handed him her undergarments stained with menstrual blood. It is a novel way of discouraging a suitor and proves that it was not only Christians who were affected by the revolt against the body that characterizes this epoch. But Hypatia’s virtues (however Christian-like) did not mollify the local Christians’ hostility towards her."
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Holland, Jack. A Brief History of Misogyny: The World’s Oldest Prejudice. Constable & Robinson. 2006. (pg. 94-95)
(Source: gynocraticgrrl)
