Educational Assistance for who want to know, One of the great tragedies of the Roman take over of the Christian Church in North Africa was the murder of the African woman catechist, Hypatia Her murder and martyrdom is paraphrased from John G, Jacksons book, introduction to African Civilization, (Citadel Press, Secaucus, N.JM, 1974,pp. 298-299) Early in the fifth century A.D. this daughter of the mathematician Theon had an academy in Alexandria. She lectured on the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle and taught the writing of Appolonious and other geometers. Cyril, bishop of Alexader, plotted to illuminate these teachings. His subsequent actions resulted in tragedy for Hypatia as told by a a historian of science: Each day before her academy stood a long train of chariots: her lecture rooms were crowded with the wealth and fashion of Alexandria. They came to listen to her discourses on those questions which which man in all ages as asked, but which never yet have been answered. what am I? What can I know? Hypatia and Cyril philosophy and bigotry. They cannot exist together. so Cyril felt, and on that feelings he acted. As Hypatia repaired to her academy, she was assaulted by Cyrils Mob-a mob of many monks. Stripped naked in the street, she was dragged into a church, and there killed by the club of Peter the Reader. The corpse was cut to pieces, the flesh was scrapped from the bones with shells, and the remnants cast into fire. For this frightful crime Cyril was never called to account….. Henceforth there was to be no freedom for human thought. Everyone must think as the ecclesiastical authority ordered him, A.D. 414. In Athens itself philosophy awaited its doom. Justinian at length prohibited its teaching, and caused all its schools in that city to be closed { History of the Conflict between Religion and science, pp 55=56, by Professor John William Draper…….
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 23:28:37 +0000
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