Hypatia: Mathematician, Philosopher, Myth

Description

This biography of Hypatia the female philosopher and mathematician in Christian Egypt provides background on her work and her life as an elite woman at this time. There are many myths about Hypatia, including her research, inventions and the impact of her murder, all based on a handful of contemporary resources. Through presenting the different theories and myths alongside the available evidence, this book will enable the reader to make their own interpretations about her life. Whilst the evidence does leave many questions unanswered this book provides the evidence as it stands, separating the myth from reality. There is very little published on Hypatia and she forms quite a niche market in the history of ancient Egypt. However she is an interesting example of how multicultural Alexandria functioned at such an unstable political time, and provides anecdotal evidence of the atrocities that occurred. This book will appeal to scholars, lay people and political and religious researchers, and will show that the history of Egypt does not end at Cleopatra.

Charlotte Booth has a BA and MA in Egyptian Archaeology and is currently working towards her PhD in Egyptology. She has written twelve books and numerous articles about ancient Egypt including The Ancient Egyptians for Dummies and two biographies, Tutankhamun; the Boy Behind the Mask and Horemheb; the Forgotten Pharaoh. Charlotte currently lives in Wiltshire, with her partner, two cats and a gerbil.