Women in Science

[Guest guest]

It is apt that this suggested reading on the contributions of women to

science begin with the tragic story of the lovely and intelligent Hypatia of

andria whose brains, beauty and scientific acumen really upset many men

of that time, especially some holy men who hypocritically served as Christian

priests. Even today, many men, particularly in male dominated societies,

appear to be extremely intimidated by the abilities of women who think and do

not simply serve and grovel to the needs of males.

Read the tale of Hypatia, then go to the links on women in science.

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Hypatia

<http://hypatia.ucsd.edu/~kl/hypatia.html>

Hypatia (born 370, andria, Egypt--died. March 415 AD, andria),

Egyptian Neoplatonist philosopher who was the first notable woman in

mathematics.

The daughter of Theon, also a mathematician and philosopher, Hypatia became

the recognized head of the Neoplatonist school of philosophy at [index]

andria, and her eloquence, modesty, and beauty, combined with her

remarkable intellectual gifts, attracted a large number of pupils. Among them

was Synesius of Cyrene, afterward bishop of Ptolemais (c. 410), several of

whose letters to her are still extant.

Hypatia symbolized learning and science, which at that time in Western

history were largely identified by the early Christians with paganism. As

such, she was a focal point in the tension and riots between Christians and

non-Christians that more than once racked andria. After the accession of

Cyril to the patriarchate of andria in 412, Hypatia was barbarously

murdered by the Nitrian monks and a fanatical mob of Cyril's Christian

followers, supposedly because of her intimacy with Orestes, the city's pagan

prefect. Whatever the precise motivation for the murder, the departure soon

afterward of many scholars marked the beginning of the decline of andria

as a major centre of ancient learning.

According to the Suda lexicon, Hypatia wrote commentaries on the Arithmetica

of Diophantus of andria, on the Conics of Apollonius of Perga, and on the

astronomical canon of Ptolemy. These works are lost, but their titles,

combined with the letters of Synesius, who consulted her about the

construction of an astrolabe and a hydroscope, indicate that she devoted

herself particularly to astronomy and mathematics. The existence of any

strictly philosophical works by her is unknown. Her philosophy was more

scholarly and scientific in its interest and less mystical and intransigently

pagan than the Athenian school and was the embodiment of andrian

Neoplatonism.

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The Life of Hypatia

http://www.cosmopolis.com/alexandria/hypatia-bio-socrates.html

By Socrates Scholasticus, from his Ecclesiastical History

THERE WAS a woman at andria 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 going to an

assembly of men. For all men on account of her extraordinary dignity and

virtue admired her the more. Y

et even she fell 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 , 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 (* The Greek word is

ostrakois, literally " oyster shells, " but the word was also applied to brick

tiles used on the roofs of houses.)

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 andrian 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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The Life of Hypatia

http://www.cosmopolis.com/alexandria/hypatia-bio-suda.html

From Damascius's Life of Isidore, reproduced in The Suda

Translated by y

HYPATIA, daughter of Theon the geometer and philosopher of andria, was

herself a well-known philosopher. She was the wife of the philosopher

Isidorus, and she flourished under the Emperor Arcadius. Author of a

commentary on Diophantus, she also wrote a work called The Astronomical Canon

and a commentary on The Conics of Apollonius. She was torn apart by the

andrians and her body was mocked and scattered through the whole city.

This happened because of envy and her outstanding wisdom especially regarding

astronomy. Some say Cyril was responsible for this outrage; others blame the

andrians' innate ferocity and violent tendencies for they dealt with many

of their bishops in the same manner, for example and Proterius.

Regarding Hypatia the Philosopher and the Sedition of the andrians

Hypatia was born, reared, and educated in andria. Since she had greater

genius than her father, she was not satisfied with his instruction in

mathematical subjects; she also devoted herself diligently to all of

philosophy.

The woman used to put on her philosopher's cloak and walk through the middle

of town and publicly interpret Plato, Aristotle, or the works of any other

philosopher to those who wished to hear her. In addition to her expertise in

teaching she rose to the pinnacle of civic virtue. She was both just and

chaste..... She was so beautiful and shapely that one of her students fell

in love with her and was unable to control himself and openly showed her a

sign of his infatuation. Uninformed reports had Hypatia curing him of his

affliction with the help of music. The truth is that the story about music is

corrupt. Actually, she gathered rags that had been stained during her period

and showed them to him as a sign of her unclean descent and said, " This is

what you love, young man, and it isn't beautiful! " He was so affected by

shame and amazement at the ugly sight that he experienced a change of heart

and went away a better man.

Such was Hypatia, as articulate and eloquent in speaking as she was prudent

and civil in her deeds. The whole city rightly loved her and worshipped her

in a remarkable way, but the rulers of the city from the first envied her,

something that often happened at Athens too. For even if philosophy itself

had perished, nevertheless, its name still seems magnificent and venerable to

the men who exercise leadership in the state. Thus it happened one day that

Cyril, bishop of the opposition sect [i.e. Christianity] was passing by

Hypatia's house, and he saw a great crowd of people and horses in front of

her door. Some were arriving, some departing, and others standing around.

When he asked why there was a crowd there and what all the fuss was about, he

was told by her followers that it was the house of Hypatia the philosopher

and she was about to greet them.

When Cyril learned this, he was so struck with envy that he immediately began

plotting her murder and the most heinous form of murder at that. For when

Hypatia emerged from her house, in her accustomed manner, a throng of

merciless and ferocious men who feared neither divine punishment nor human

revenge attacked and cut her down, thus committing an outrageous and

disgraceful deed against their fatherland. The Emperor was angry, and he

would have avenged her had not Aedesius been bribed. Thus the Emperor

remitted the punishment onto his own head and family for his descendant paid

the price. The memory of these events is still vivid among the andrians.

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LINKS

Women in Science:

http://crux.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/4000WS.html

Women and Modern Physics:

http://www.physics.ucla.edu/~cwp/

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Dr Mel C Siff

Denver, USA

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/