Among my students in Philosophy 1 and 2 of high school students who have seen the movie Agora, the majority opinion, when asked about the issue of it, is that it is a conflict between pagans and Christians, on the one hand, and between science and religion, on the other. The more refined, perhaps echoing some comments that have heard speak of a conflict between reason and faith. Without going any further, my own roommate, when asked in class on the subject, has responded in the same terms: in the movie is clearly expressed the conflict between reason and faith.
I disagree with both perceptions, because I think it is neither one nor the other, although I must say that the movie load inks in both directions. My two thesis is that, on the one hand, more than a clash between pagans and Christians was a conflict between different groups of Christians , and on the other hand, more than an ideological conflict between science and religion or between reason and faith, it was a political conflict between different factions fighting for power . To support my argument, besides the most important contemporary sources-mainly Socrates and Synesius Scholastic, "I rely on research that I consider most comprehensive and revealing of Mary Dzielska, in his excellent essay, 1995 Hypatia of Alexandria [1] , yet, in my opinion, unsurpassed, despite our country's current spate of new (?) publications on Hypatia, following the interest generated by film Amenabar. In fact, I agree with Dzielska thesis, which provides some data and approaches that I think have been unsuccessful so far.
To support the thesis that it is a conflict between different groups of Christians, let us examine the data that we have reached regarding the relationship of Hypatia with Christians on the one hand, and pagan practices, for another. To summarize the information obtained masterfully Dzielkska reading letters Synesius, we can draw the following account of Hypatia's disciples whose name we know:
The "happy circle who enjoys his divine voice "(Sinesio, letter 5):
Ø Herculianus the Sinesio closest friend, who spends 10 cards (137-146)
Ø Ciro , Herculianus brother, probably, Flavio Taurus Seleucus Cyrus Panopolis Cyrus, bishop of Cotieo in Phrygia.
Ø Olimpio, "no doubt Christian" (DZIELSKA 2006:44-45) devotes Sinesio 8 cards
Ø ission, Sinesio partner, and Olimpio Herculianus
Ø Siro, leading to letters of Sinesio
Pedro , delivering a letter Synesius Hypatia (the 133), their name "indicates without doubt that a Christian" (DZIELSKA 2006:48)
Ø Hesiquio perhaps libiarca , ie the chief priest of the province of Pentapolis to 400, according to D. Roques (in DZIELSKA 2006:136, note 69 -)
Ø Euoptius , Sinesio brother, his successor as Bishop of Cyrene.
Ø Teotecno , who Sinesio called "Holy Father" (Letter 5); Alexandrian priest as the editor of the letters Francisco Antonio García Romero (1995:41-note 87 -)
Ø Athanasius, probably an Alexandrian sophist
Ø Theodosius, Alexandrian and "grammarian of the first order" (letter 5)
Sinesio Gayo appointed as a member of our family "(letter 5), it is understood that the circle of Hypatia
Ø Isidoro perhaps the priest and abbot of Pelusium (DZIELSKA 2006:55-56)
Listeners Hypatia conferences to a wider audience mentioned by Damascius:
Ø Orestes, the imperial prefect of Alexandria in 412-415, a Christian before his appointment as governor of Egypt (DZIELSKA 2006:52)
Ø Simplicio, such time commander of the East in 396-398
Ø Pentadius, imperial prefect of Egypt 403-404
Ø Heliodorus rhetorical lawyer in the court of imperial prefect of Egypt
Ø Ammonium curialis or Alexandrian council
Sinesio If we count in the 14 names that make up the circle closer to Hypatia, probably 8-in bold-being Christians, 6 of whom hold positions church, to which we must add that among the 5 names of people with important positions in the empire, there is one -Orestes, good friend of Hypatia, who is also Christian.
That fact is what makes you say to Mary Dzielska that "around" the last pagan "," helena martyr 'and' victim of terrible Christian fanaticism "(as described some of the creators of modern legend) meet Christian, pagan sympathizers and future converts. " few lines down: "No source suggests that, under the influence of this" pagan recalcitrant "one of his pupils being drawn into apostasy or, disturbed by anti-Christian views, want to kill him and teachings "(DZIELSKA 2006:58)
As it relates to paganism, one wonders why we are not aware that Hypatia has actively participated in the defense of Serapeo when held its destruction 391-which, incidentally, was another thing not to comply with the edict in June of that year enacted prohibiting the Emperor Theodosius pagan practices. If it had, we would have news of this, as we have the active participation of the neo-Platonic philosopher Olimpio, or ammonium and Heladio grammarians. Perhaps we should conclude that Dzielska "Hypatia is not attracted by Greek polytheism nor local cults (...) It does not feel obliged to support his Platonism theurgic practices nor ritual, divination or magic, there is no site in transcendentalism he professes, for service to a baboon-headed god. " (DZIELSKA 2006: 95-96). It, however, does not follow that Hypatia was an atheist or that their interest in science to keep it outside of spirituality; rather the opposite, since, as we shall soon see, is by no means Sinesio rhetoric when it comes to Hypatia as "the most venerable philosopher, the favorite of the Godhead" (Letter 5).
Based on these data, Hypatia is closer to Christians-at least those grown in Greek paideia, that of the pagans. Hypatia, of course, is siding with Orestes and we must not forget, as Dzielska warns us that "after all, the same Christian and Orestes is representative of a Christian" (DZIELSKA 2006:102). But we must not overlook the fact that "Hypatia is not popular or famous among the common people of Alexandria "(ibid.: 103). Quite the contrary, "the happy circle who enjoys his divine voice" is an aristocratic elite that has no interest in sharing their teachings to the masses, in this sense, tell Sinesio Bishop-being and to "explain the philosophy the mob only leads to awakening in men a contempt for the divine things "(Letter 143)
will be precisely this trick is going to play the bishop Cyril in his confrontation with Orestes: harangue the masses who do not have to Hypatia and yours in high regard, with canard that, even with Christian friends, Hypatia is a dangerous witch practicing black magic, an accusation that caused panic among the populace. This is also a crime punishable by the harshest punishment in the Christian empire, and, unfortunately, could check our compatriot and good Christian Prisciliano few years earlier, in 385, when he was beheaded on charges of maleficium Trier : Same strategy defamation, similar conflict between Christians .
On one side, then, is Hypatia with Orestes and Christians worship and moderate. The other is Cyril with the masses of Alexandrian famous in antiquity for his rebellious nature, and their parabolans, "most ignorant and uneducated, but obedient to their ecclesiastical leaders, hotheaded and prone to manipulation" (DZIELSKA 2006:209), who apparently are responsible for executing the sadistic lynching of the venerable philosopher who will regret to his contemporary, the Christian historian Socrates Scholastic: "Surely nothing could be further from the spirit of Christianity that the consent of massacres, fights and affairs of this kind" (Ecclesiastical History 7.15)
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