hypatia_of_alexandria epitome of incomprehensibility She's watching from her neoplatonic heaven, ready to fire flaming numbers at unbelievers. (Y. laughs at me when I say Pope Francis should apologize for a murder committed sixteen centuries ago, but everyone knows it's bad karma to kill a math teacher.) 140220 ... e_o_i Book about her history and literary legend. The first part shows her story got turned into debates about religion and secularism - specifically, in England and France in the 1700s. Isn't it curious what influences what?And just check out the VERY 1700s-y titles! In 1720 John Toland published an essay called "Hypatia or, the History of a Most Beautiful, Most Virtuous, Most Learned and in Every Way Accomplished Lady; Who Was Torn to Pieces by the Clergy of Alexandria, to Gratify the Pride, Emulation, and Cruelty of the Archbishop, Commonly but Undeservedly Titled St. Cyril." Thomas Lewis issued a rebuttal in pamphlet form with not QUITE as long a title: "The History of Hypatia, a Most Impudent School-Mistress of Alexandria. In Defense of Saint Cyril and the Alexandrian Clergy from the Aspersions of Mr. Toland." I want to be a Most Impudent School-Mistress. Not so down with the mob murder part, but anyway... In these retellings, her influence was exaggerated - and beauty, most likely, as if that's what has to make a woman famous! - and her story positioned as one of enlightenment vs. religion, or paganism vs. Christianity. The reality was more nuanced. For one, she had a set of neo-Platonic beliefs that didn't really jell with paganism and probably isn't like modern atheism either. And yes, by the historical record, she was killed by Christians, but #notallChristians, right? (By which I mean it was a specific group of Christians, and local politics played a role, but I don't know many details. I need to read the book to get a better grasp.) As for the novelistic retellings, which the writer gets into later in that chapter, it IS hard if not impossible to get all the historical nuances when you're fictionalizing something. But the upside of fiction is that some of these nuances can be made more noticeable. And everything depends on what you emphasize. Food for thought, or food for e_o_i trying to avoid doing things on her To-Do List? 211214 what's it to you? who go blather from