Hypatia (born c. 355 CE—died March 415, Alexandria) was a mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who lived in a very turbulent era in Alexandria’s history. She is the earliest female mathematician of whose life and work reasonably detailed knowledge exists. Hypatia was the daughter of Theon of Alexandria, himself a mathematician and astronomer and the last attested member of the Alexandrian Museum. Hypatia continued his program, which was essentially a determined effort to preserve the Greek mathematical and astronomical heritage in (1) extremely difficult times. She is credited with commentaries on geometry, number theory, as well as an (2) astronomical table. These works, the only ones she is listed as having written, have been lost, although there have been attempts to (3) reconstruct aspects of them. She was, in her time, the world’s leading mathematician and astronomer, the only woman for (4) whom such claim can be made.

She was also a popular teacher and lecturer on philosophical topics of a less-specialist nature, attracting many loyal students and large audiences. Her philosophy was Neoplatonist and was thus seen as “pagan” at a time of bitter religious conflict between Christians (both orthodox and “heretical”), Jews, and pagans. Her philosophy also led her to embrace a life of dedicated virginity. The climate of tolerance lapsed, and shortly afterward Hypatia became the victim of a particularly brutal murder at the hands of a gang of Christian zealots.

The affair made Hypatia a powerful feminist symbol and a figure of affirmation for intellectual endeavor in the face of ignorant prejudice. Her intellectual accomplishments alone were quite ______ to merit the preservation and respect of her name, but, sadly, the manner of her death added to it an even greater emphasis.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica. Adapted.