Hypatia: Her Life and Times

by Faith L. Justice

Who was Hypatia, Lady Philosopher of Alexandria? A brilliant young mathematician and scientist, murdered by a religious mob? An aging academic assassinated by a rival political party? A sorceress who kept the governor and people of Alexandria in thrall through satanic wiles? Did she discover that the earth circled the sun a thousand years before Copernicus or was she merely a gifted geometry teacher? Hypatia is the subject of much myth-making through the centuries. She’s featured in poetry, plays, novels and movies. This collection of essays pulls back the curtain and lets the reader see the real woman behind the stories. You’ll find Hypatia needs no embellishment to be a heroine.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

107 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 2012

About the author

Faith L. Justice is a science geek and history junkie who writes award-winning novels, short stories, and articles in her historic Brooklyn home. She’s published in venues such as Salon.com, Writer's Digest, Strange Horizons, The Copperfield Review and Circles in the Hair.

You can read her stories, interviews with famous authors, and sample chapters of her novels at her website . Check out her blog for historical fiction book reviews, interviews with HF authors, "History in the News" roundups and giveaways.

Faith lives with her husband, daughter and the required gaggle of cats. For fun, she likes to dig in the dirt—her garden and various archaeological sites.

Reviews

[Faith Justice]

I'm the author so, of course, will not leave a review or rating. I did want to take some time and use this space to thank all of you who have read the book and supported independent publishing. Hypatia has a special place in my heart. I enjoyed writing about and sharing her life and times with those who might not know much about her. My special thanks to those who share their opinions through reviews and/or ratings, here and elsewhere. It takes time and effort to compose and post a review of even a few sentences, and I'm very grateful for your effort. Not every reader cares to share their opinions and I understand that, as well. I don't review every book I read. In either case, I sincerely hope you enjoyed the book. If you have any questions or comments, you can reach me through the "Ask the Author" function on my author page or email me through my website. And again, many thanks!

[Courtney Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read this short book after hearing an interview with the author on the podcast Science for the People. As a "woman in science" I enjoy reading about the pioneers who came before me and before reading this book I had little knowledge of Hypatia's life beyond the fact she was a mathematician (or a scientist or a philosopher or... something) and, of course, her tragic death. Having read the book I don't know much more, but that's certainly not the fault of the author; as she deftly demonstrates, there is so little reliable information about Hypatia that we can't know much more.

Why, then, have I only given this book three stars? Even though the content is very interesting and well-cited (which anyone who reads my reviews will know is a big thing for me), it's just so repetitive. Since this is a collection of blog posts on one subject, many topics get repeated multiple times as they're required to explain other aspects of Hypatia's life, which ends up feeling like padding. The posts could have done with being edited together into a coherent narrative. They're also written in blog "style", which just feels strange when you're reading a book, even if it is on a Kindle. The book also includes an excerpt of Justice's fiction book Selene of Alexandria, though I probably won't be picking it up. I may read some of the cited books though, particularly Deakin's and Dzielska's.

This book's aim is to set the record straight on Hypatia's life, and it definitely fulfills that. The content is also good, but I just didn't like the format, and that really affected my enjoyment of the book.

[Treva Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing lady of her times. I saw the movie/film Agora and had to know more about her.
I really appreciated how Faith Justice arranged this book on Hypatia. I was able to follow along almost with her as she studied and research her.

As a Historian and lover of Ancient History I found the film on Netflix and watched. I was amazed how this lady was able to do so much in that age. I didn't think many ladies could do that. I had a few questions on a few things. First went to internet and then to Amazon and found Faith Justice's book.

Ms. Justice created a wonderful book for reading and studying. I am overwhelmed with admiration for Hypatia. I have several ladies I have enjoyed reading about and admired in history and now I can add her to my list.

Thank you. Ms. Justice. I am looking forward to reading your Historical Books.

[Isa (Pages Full of Stars) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book by accident and thought it might be an interesting read, but I was quite surprised that only a part of it is actually talking about Hypatia of Alexandria. In the introduction the author admits that the book consists of a collection of essays that she wrote throughout the years, and I didn't mind that, but I honestly thought it would be mostly about Hypatia, as the title states.

The book is divided into three parts - one dedicated to Hypatia, second to Alexandria, the times that Hypatia lived in and other female figures, and the third is fully about the author's novel, which is also set in the 5th century. Now, I know that it's the author's right to include everything she wants in her book, but I found the summary very misleading.

That said, I enjoyed the part about Hypatia and noted down some of the sources that the author used.

[Norhan Rafat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wrote this review before finishing the book.

I always think of Hypatia as a role model and being from Alexandria makes me feel more connected to her.I even sometimes when I walk by the sea I find myself imagining her in the same place.

Reading about her can be just a waste of time.we all know the story and we all know that there is a little mentioned about her and her studies but i find this book really interesting because I share my passion for Hypatia with someone else who knows about her more than me.

I think talking about Hypatia's beauty even if it is written in ancient resources isn't about having hot female figure or Angelic face more than about being brilliant and having charming and peaceful character.I think this is the word beauty comes from when we use it to describe her.

Also there is always a debate whether Hypatia was a mathematician and inventor or just a teacher.Even if it is important to us because we want to know everything about her but I think that the threat that her enemies felt came from being a teacher not a woman,not an inventor ,not a magician and not being involved with politics.

It is known from ancient times that if you want to have control over group of people you can just make them ignorant and that was Hypatia was fighting she wanted to educate her students and at the same time unite them through learning not through religion.Education and Peace were Hypatia's main concern and those two things were the threat for Cyril.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's say you saw Agora and want to know what is fact and what is fiction. Well you are in luck my friend, because I think this is a good beginner's guide to the remarkable Hypatia. Written over a period of several years as well reaserched blog posts, Faith L. Justice decided to to put them together and added an interesting interview she did to promote her historical fiction Selene of Alexandria. Give that that book was created as a way for the author to explore both Hypatia's Alexandria and the lower classes life, I'm interested in giving it a try.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Overall this is a good book that does a nice job of summarizing Hypatia's life and attempting to separate myth from reality, but it's also quite repetitive (mostly because it comprises a series of essays originally published on the writer's blog).

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

As this slim volume makes clear from the outset, we possess very few records of Hypatia of Alexandria apart from a handful of documents penned by her contemporaries. This serves to both frustrate those like me who would love to read a more complete account while also deepening the mystery surrounding this Neoplatonist philosopher and mathematician.

Was she a beautiful young symbol of virtue and wisdom cut down in her prime? Was she an inventor? Did her death kick off the Dark Ages? While somewhat repetitive (the book is a collection of blog entries), Hypatia: Her Life and Times at least manages to dispense with the outsized legends that have grown up around her. For that alone, it's worth a read by any newcomers looking to get up to speed in short order. While the basic facts of her story make it seemingly easy to enlist her in any number of causes - feminist, atheist, scientific, liberal - the truth is she doesn't neatly fit any of those columns. Like all great thinkers, her life was complex and the product of the times in which she lived.

This book offers a decent introduction and whets the appetite for more.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of 'essays' (actually blog posts the author wrote over the years) about Hypatia of Alexandria. Because the chapters were written over several years, they are a bit repetitive, but it's forgivable considering how they came together. The subject makes up for a lot, anyway. Like so many people I got interested in Hypatia after seeing the movie Agora, and this book certainly quenched my thirst for more - while simultaneously making me even more intrigued! This is not going to be the last I'll read about Hypatia.

Great introduction to this fascinating woman, who gets pulled from myth and placed in her own time.

[Shaelene (aGirlWithBookss) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly comprised of blog posts from the authors interest in Hypatia, this little collection is a great starting point to learning about Hypatia in a quick and accessible way.
Many myths about Hypatia’s life are busted, we learn the political climate of the time and the events that transpired in which lead to the death of this extraordinary woman of Hellenistic times.
The author provides a full bibliography for further reading and gives her opinion on the best sources.
It’s a wonderful introduction into the world of Hypatia, 4 stars.

[Glenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Among my list of feminist heroines now. To the author, thanks for writing this book. It’s wonderful to know was a time when women’s women intelligence was valued . Hope there is more to come from this author!!

[Maxwashl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of blog articles on Hypatia's life.

[Evamaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of blog posts which gives a nice overview of Hypatia, the myths surrounding her and the (few) facts we really know. A good intro if you're interested in her.

[Science For The People]

Featured on Science for the People show #238 on November 8, 2013, during an interview with author Faith Justice. http://www.scienceforthepeople.ca/epi...

[Panisara Sittiwong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first randomly came across a tweet about Hypatia, the lady philosopher who was accused of practicing witchcraft and murdered brutally by Christian mob marking the beginning of the Dark Ages, and was thrilled by the story. So I started researching for books written about Hypatia and facts behind the incident. I found plenty of them, but only this one was available at the local bookstore (though they have to order it abroad for me).

The book was very thin and I hoped that it summarized all the things I need to know about Hypatia. It’s just what I was looking for, a brief yet with-every-necessary-details history of her own biography and the overview of the period she had been through. And everything is all about facts based on evidences supported. The book is very comprehensive, straight-to-the-point and just perfect for non-fiction readers. I would definitely recommend it!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is basically a collection of blog posts about Hypatia, so know going in that it's going to be very repetitive. I knew basically nothing about Hypatia so the first few chapters were informative and interesting for me, and then the rest were basically the same info rehashed. There aren't a lot of primary sources about Hypatia, and I thought the author did a lot with what she had. However, I think this could have really benefited from being edited down into one longer essay instead.

[Sekhar N Banerjee · Rating 1 out of 5]

No comments

I made a mistake in getting this book. It was not worth reading and a total waste of time. I was attracted by the title and did not bother to read the sample first.

[caffeinated reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I expected. This was a collection of small articles not only on Hypatia but also female philosophers and the library of Alexandria.

[Arianne X · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been Condensed and Better Organized

The book has many repetitive and redundant entries. For example, the same passage by Socrates Scholasticus is repeated several times. There are additional examples of repetition and repeated material throughout the book. However, we cannot say that we were not warned. The author discloses in the introduction that this book is a collection blog entries and that the reader should expect some repetition in the materials. Still, I would have appreciated the author better editing and organizing the materials to eliminate the redundancies and provide a more even narrative.

In any case, there is a very helpful chapter on the movie 'Agora' showing where the movie departs from history and where it takes perhaps too much artistic license in telling the story of Hypatia. There are also two helpful reviews of the two most reliable academic treatments of Hypatia, the one by Maria Dzielska, 'Hypatia of Alexandria' and the one by Michael A. B. Deakin, 'Hypatia of Alexandria: Mathematician and Martyr'.

[John Kounas]

Author made big miscue regarding Hypathha

Some interesting facts well researched. Good insite to Hypatia. But one great error. Author states “Hypatia taught Plato Aristotle. NoWay! They lived nearly 1,000-1,200 years before Hypatia. I would offer Hypatia read their texts and they I turn influenced her. Terrible mistake!