Hypatia of Alexandria

Hypatia was born in and spent most of her life in Alexandria, the cultural centre of her time. Hypatia's Alexandria, population perhaps a hundred thousand, was the world's mecca of learning. The crown of the city, however, was the Mouseion, the spectacular Alexandrian library where Hypatia's father, Theon, a philosopher, mathematician, and scholar, was its last head. Despite such a level of civilization, Hypatia's Alexandria was a society facing both a growing multi-ethnic unrest and an ideological transition from diverse pagan and philosophical cults to Christianity. Christians gradually proliferated, but it was through the ascension of Alexandria's Bishop Cyril. As a civic leader, Hypatia befriended and advised Orestes, the Roman prefect of Alexandria, toward whom Cyril bore anger for torturing and executing a monk-in addition to their obvious and bitter political rivalry. Lastly, the deadly sin of envy was undoubtedly astir as Hypatia drew throngs of adoring Alexandrians tossing flowers before her chariot as she travelled along the streets.