Top 10 Portrayals of Hypatia of Alexandria
Greek polymath Hypatia of Alexandria was a genius mathematician, philosopher, astronomer and all round pioneering female intellectual. Her influence and beauty are legendary. Sadly, Hypatia was also pagan at a time when Christianity was becoming increasingly de rigueur, and she suffered a grim execution in 415 AD at the hands of some angry monks.
Her life and death is set to be the subject of a new big-budget motion picture, Agora, directed by Alejandro Amenábar and starring Rachel Weisz. Ahead of the film’s release, we give a chronological run down of ten top portrayals of Hypatia, in literature, art, comic books and on stage and in movie.
1. Historia Ecclesiastica (439 AD)
Socrates Scholasticus
Period writings on Hypatia are few and far between; Greek church historian Socrates Scholasticus is perhaps the most extensive and reliable contemporary source to write about her in her time. He soberly makes Hypatia out to be a wise character, not daunted by the prospect of holding court in front of male magistrates. “All men on account of her extraordinary dignity and virtue admired her the more,” he wrote.
2. The School of Athens (1511)
Raphael
Hypatia appears as one of the many characters in Italian Renaissance artist Raphael’s 16th century masterpiece at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. She’s the only woman among the sages, and gazes provocatively at the viewer.
3. Hypatie (1847) and Hypatie et Cyrille (1857)
Charles Marie René Leconte de Lisle
By the 19th century, the legend of Hypatia had begun to take root in popular literature. French poet Leconte de Lisle was one of the first scribes to portray her in a romantic light. In these two poems, penned a decade apart, he made Hypatia out to be a figure of “vulnerable truth and beauty.”
4. Hypatia (novel, 1853)
Charles Kingsley
English professor, novelist and church writer Charles Kingsley’s historical novel, subtitled New Foes with an Old Face, introduced a slightly different take on the multi-talented Greek lady scholar. He depicted her as a “helpless, pretentious and erotic heroine.” Ooh er.
5. Hypatia (photograph, 1867)
Julia Margaret Cameron
1867 saw the first attempt to mock Hypatia up in photo form, by pioneering celebrity snapper Julia Margaret Cameron (kind of like the Annie Liebovitz of her day). She’s a bit sullen looking, but then she must have been sweltering in that massive dress.
6. Hypatia (play, 1900)
A stage version of Hypatia, starring famous American actress Mary Anderson was advertised around London in 1900, but quietly aborted. A photograph from that production – presumed to feature Anderson – has become an enduring image of the Greek beauty; Hypatia’s story has gone on to become the subject of many other stage shows throughout the 20th century.
7. Corto Maltese: Fable of Venice (1977)
Hugo Pratt
Hypatia makes one of her more unlikely cameos in the adventure comic book series Corto Maltese, by Italian writer and illustrator Hugo Pratt. Elements of her character are anachronistically superimposed onto a figure who is found presiding over a gathering of intellectuals in pre-Fascist Italy.
Kingsley depicted Hypatia as a “helpless, pretentious and erotic heroine.” Ooh er.
8. The Dinner Party (1974-1979)Judy Chicago
Feminist artist Judy Chicago cast Hypatia in her large-scale art installation The Dinner Party, rubbing shoulders with other famous females from throughout history such as Boudica, Elizabeth I and Virginia Woolf. The piece remains became a permanent exhibition at New York’s Brooklyn Museum of Art in 2007.
9. Cosmos: A Personal Voyage (1980)Carl Sagan
Hypatia popped up in an episode of popular American scientist, astronomer author and broadcaster Carl Sagan’s epic 13 part series Cosmos in 1980, as the last of the great classical thinkers, whose death begins the Dark Ages. The programme was seen by more than 600 million people in over 60 countries, bringing Hypatia to her biggest audience yet.
10. Agora (2009)
Alejandro Amenábar
We obviously can’t say much about this film because it hasn’t been released yet (although it did premier at the Cannes Film Festival in May). On paper it looks pretty promising, even if the plot – a science vs. religion tale, in which Hypatia gets herself into a forbidden romantic tangle with her slave Davus – does sound a bit Hollywood-worthy. For a look ahead to the film Agora, check out Ann’s blog.
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Great article, thanks !
Just a quick comment, "Hipatia" in Fable de Venice pretents to be the reincarnation of the mythical figure.
According to Corto Maltese, Hipatia was killed in a church because she was fighting without mercy against Christianity...
He describes her as Neoplatonist philosopher, director of the Alexandria school, featuring a rare beauty and a character without imperfection.
Hi, 'spirit of Corto', I believe Hugo Pratt here saw Hipatia as the reincarnation of someone who was responsible for the Library of Alexandria, quite impossible as by the time she lived the library was already destroyed. (And yes, by fire, hence the reference also in 'The Fable of Venice', as the Nazi's burned books too. I have the book at home, but.. can you refresh my memory? I thought Hipatia (the Venice one, not the Alexandria one) also dies in this Corto Maltese book, or am I mistaken? (I definitely remember a bombing of Venice!) And what was her fathers name in this book?
As for ancient world and Hugo Pratt in general, he has so many beautifully stories where he mixes myths and history, my personal favourite is - although the Fabel of Venice is a runner up - 'The Celts', where all the mythical figures join forces to prevent a nazi invasion of Britain. The scenes at Stonehenge with the raven are incredibly beautiful!
@MalcolmJ: I believe ' the adventure comic book' is quite an underestimate of Huge Pratt's talent. His books definitely deserve the title 'graphic novel'!
Hipatiya was a scientist , philosopher and astronomer and the last librarian of 'Library of Alexandria'
In AD 391 Theophilus the partriarch of of alexandria publiihed a edict prohibiting all other forms of Worship .
The renowed historian of her time Socrates Scholasticus mentions the scenes of her matyardom in his 'Ecclesiastical History'
'she was 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.'
After her death the library of Alexandra was burned ((Carl sagan in his much pupularized series'COSMOS ' gives an account of the magificant books and the impact of their loss for man kind)) and dark ages in history began which took more than 1000 years and sacrifice to liberate the world from darkness .
really she is a martyr for man kind and the man who was behind buring her Christian patriarch ..Cyril of Alexandria
was later proclaimed as a saint by Holy ??? Church .....
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