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THERE was a woman at Alexandria named Hypatia, daughter of the
philosopher Theon, who made such attainments in literature and
science, as to far surpass all the philosophers of her own time.
Having succeeded to the school of Plato and Plotinus, she explained
the principles of philosophy to her auditors, many of whom came from a
distance to receive her instructions. On account of the
self-possession and ease of manner, which she had acquired in
consequence of the cultivation of her mind, she not unfrequently
appeared in public in presence of the magistrates. Neither did she
feel abashed in coming to an assembly of men. For all men on account
of her extraordinary dignity and virtue admired her the more. Yet even
she fell a victim to the political jealousy which at that time
prevailed. For as she had frequent interviews with Orestes, it was
calumniously reported among the Christian populace, that it was she
who prevented Orestes from being reconciled to the bishop. Some of
them therefore, hurried away by a fierce and bigoted zeal, whose
ringleader was a reader named Peter, waylaid her returning home, and
dragging her from her carriage, they took her to the church called
Caesareum, where they completely stripped her, and then murdered her
with tiles. After tearing her body in pieces, they took her mangled
limbs to a place called Cinaron, and there burnt them. This affair
brought not the least opprobrium, not only upon Cyril, but also upon
the whole Alexandrian church. And surely nothing can be farther from
the spirit of Christianity than the allowance of massacres, fights,
and transactions of that sort. This happened in the month of March
during Lent, in the fourth year of Cyril's episcopate, under the
tenth consulate of Honorius, and the sixth of Theodosius.
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