valry between the pagans and Christians of the Mediterranean. Hypatia was a pagan herself, but taught both Christian and non-Christian students. The pagans and Christians were battling over who had more power, and in March of 415 AD, it was the Christians who had the most power. These two groups were trying to drive each other out of Alexandria. During this time period, many pagans converted over to Christianity because they feared for their lives. Hypatia refused to convert, however. Most of the scholars back then did convert, but this woman scholar for some reason refused. Hypatias friend Orestes, who I mentioned before was the Roman governor of Alexandria, was attacked by a group of fanatical Christian a few weeks before Hypatia was. Orestes was a pagan like Hypatia which is the reason for the attack on him. He somehow managed the escape the crazed mob. He wasnt even injured by the monks. One monk, his name was Peter, was arrested and put to trial. The court had him executed. This decision enraged the church leaders and increased the hatred between the Christians and pagans. The leader of the Christian church, Cyril, then supposedly ordered an attack on Hypatia, because she was a powerful and popular pagan. The bishop denied doing this, and nobody really knows to this day who really ordered it or who was responsible. Eyewitnesses said that a group of monks surrounded Hypatia. They then grabbed her and dragged her into the Caesarium which is now St. Michaels church. Inside the church they tore off her clothes. They took sharpened oysters and peeled her body with them. They stabbed her with they oysters and scraped the skin from her body. The band of monks then took her dead body and threw it into a bonfire. Because she was such a martyr and died in such a violent manner, she was insured that her name would live on. She was a very rare woman in those days because she was not only a mathematician and a sc...
