Hyapatia savagely murdered by a mob
03/415 AD killed by
Neoplatonist historian Damascius (c. 458 – c. 538) was "anxious to exploit the scandal of Hypatia's death", and attributed responsibility for her murder to Bishop Cyril and his Christian followers.
Damascius's account of the Christian murder of Hypatia is the sole historical source attributing direct responsibility to Bishop Cyril.
Some modern studies represent Hypatia's death as the result of a struggle between two Christian factions, the moderate Orestes, supported by Hypatia, and the more rigid Cyril.
According to lexicographer William Smith, "She was accused of too much familiarity with Orestes, prefect of Alexandria, and the charge spread among the clergy, who took up the notion that she interrupted the friendship of Orestes with their archbishop, Cyril."
Scholasticus writes that Hypatia ultimately fell "victim to the political jealousy which at the time prevailed". News of Hypatia's murder provoked great public denunciation, not only of Cyril but of the whole Alexandrian Christian community.
Hypatia's death sent shockwaves throughout the empire;[38][111] for centuries, philosophers had been seen as effectively untouchable during the displays of public violence that sometimes occurred in Roman cities and the murder of a female philosopher at the hand of a mob was seen as "profoundly dangerous and destabilizing".
Although no concrete evidence was ever discovered definitively linking Cyril to the murder of Hypatia,[38] it was widely believed that he had ordered it.
Even if Cyril had not directly ordered the murder himself, it was self-evident that his smear campaign against Hypatia had inspired it. The Alexandrian council was alarmed at Cyril's conduct and sent an embassy to Constantinople.
Theodosius II's advisors launched an investigation to determine Cyril's role in the murder.
Subjects Who or What killed by?
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Hypatia Hypatia (c. 360 – 41...
Objects To Whom or What was killed by?
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Cyril of Alexandria Patriarch of Alexa...
Events in 415 MORE
