Ipazia

415 AD, Alexandria in Egypt, province of the Roman Empire: daughter of the philosopher Theon, publicly philosophy and astronomy teacher, privately pagan priestess and theurgist, Hypatia is brutally murdered by an armed mob of so-called “monks”: the Parabalans. Why?

The assassination was inspired to the Parabalans by the bishop of Alexandria, Cyril. Since 380 AD (Edict of Thessalonica) Crystianity became a state religion and the only cult allowed in the territories of the Roman Empire. The ambitious and intolerant bishop Cyril interprets the edict of Emperor Theodosius in the most uncompromising way and demands that all non-Christian ethnic-religious components of the civil community of Alexandria be “physically” eliminated. In pursuing this political project, he clashes with the city’s Augustal prefect, Orestes. Orestes comes in order to join the ruling class of the Christianized empire. Even if for opportunistic reasons, Orestes is therefore a Christian and baptized as much as Cyril. However, as the representative of the imperial government, he must guarantee the existence and peaceful coexistence of all the communities present in Alexandria.

For her wisdom, the frankness of her speech, for the habit of tolerance that comes from the Hellenic way of life and mostly for her priestly charisma, the aristocratic Hypatia enjoys a great prestige among the Alexandrian ruling class and exerts a particular influence on the prefect Orestes. As soon as the Bishop Cyril notices it, blinded by irrational envy, he conceives the woman’s murder and commissions it to the Parabalans, who execute it in an exceedingly brutal manner in the spring of 415 AD, in time of Lent.

A cura della 2DSU

Anno Scolastico 2021/ 2022