The murder of ancient Alexandria's greatest scholar - Soraya Field Fiorio

翻译人员: Yizhuo He 校对人员: Lauren Zou

In the city of Alexandria in 415 CE,

在公元 415 年的亚历山大城，

the bishop and the governor were in a fight.

主教和城市统治者 进行了激烈的争吵。

It started with a disagreement over the behavior of a militia of monks,

一切都源于他们对于修道士民兵的 种种行为而产生的意见分歧，

and ended with an accusation of witchcraft

并最终导致了针对 城市中其中一位

leveled against one of the most powerful figures in the city.

最有影响力的人物的巫术指控。

Hypatia of Alexandria was a prominent mathematician, philosopher,

亚历山大城的希帕蒂娅（Hypatia） 是一名杰出的数学家，哲学家，

and advisor to the city’s leaders.

以及城市领导者的谋士。

In the centuries since she lived,

在她过世后的几个世纪中，

the details of her life have been the subject of much dispute

她的生平往事成了 众人争论的焦点，

and have taken on an almost mythical status.

并几乎被认为是虚构的传说。

But while none of Hypatia’s own writings survive,

尽管希帕蒂娅自己 并没有留存下来的著作，

her contemporaries’ and students’ accounts of her work and life

她的同代人及学生 对她的作品及生活的记述

paint a picture of the qualities that made her renowned as a scholar,

描绘出了她的诸多品质，正是这些品质 使她被誉为一名备受尊敬的学者，

beloved as a teacher, and ultimately led to her downfall.

深受学生喜爱的老师， 但也最终致使了她的陨落。

Hypatia was born around 355 in Alexandria,

希帕蒂娅生于公元 355 年的 亚历山大城，

then part of the Egyptian province of the Eastern Roman Empire,

这里在当时是东罗马帝国 埃及地区的一部分，

and an intellectual center.

也是一座科学文化中心。

Her father Theon was an accomplished Greek mathematician and astronomer;

她的父亲席昂是一位颇有建树的 希腊数学家和天文学家；

her mother is unknown.

她的母亲身份不详。

Hypatia was likely an only child, and Theon educated her himself.

希帕蒂娅极有可能是席昂的独女， 由席昂亲自教导。

By adulthood, she had surpassed her father in both mathematics and philosophy,

在她成年时，她已远超其父 在数学与哲学方面的成就，

becoming the city’s foremost scholar and taking over his position

成为了城市中最著名的学者， 并取代了父亲

at the head of the Platonic school, similar to a modern university.

在柏拉图学院 （类似近代大学）的院长职位。

She refined scientific instruments, wrote math textbooks,

她改进了诸多科学仪器， 撰写了数学课本，

and developed a more efficient method of long division.

并发明了一种更有效的长除法。

But perhaps her most significant contributions to intellectual life

但她在亚历山大城的 学术生涯中最杰出的贡献

in Alexandria came through her teaching.

或许要归功于她的教学生涯。

The philosophy Hypatia taught drew from the legacy of Plato and Aristotle,

希帕蒂娅所传授的哲学不仅包括了 柏拉图与亚里士多德遗留下来的思想，

as well as the mystical philosopher Plotinus and the mathematician Pythagoras.

还包括了神秘主义哲学家 普洛丁与数学家毕达哥拉斯的观点。

The convergence of these influences merged to form a school called Neoplatonism.

这些思想融合成了一个新学派： 新柏拉图主义。

For the Neoplatonists, mathematics had a spiritual aspect,

对于新柏拉图主义学者来说， 数学被认为具有一种宗教思想，

divided among the four branches of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music.

这种思想被划分为算术，几何， 天文与音乐这四个方面。

These subjects were not studied merely for the sake of curiosity

而人们研究这些学科 并不只是出于好奇

or practical utility, but because they authenticated the belief

或其实用性，而是因为它们证实了

that numbers were the sacred language of the universe.

“数字是宇宙的神圣语言”这一信仰。

In the repeated patterns of algebraic formulas and geometric shapes,

在代数公式与几何图形的重复模式、

the orbits of the planets, and the harmonious intervals of musical tones,

行星的轨道、音乐的和谐音程中，

the Neoplatonists saw a rational cosmic force at work.

新柏拉图主义学者看到了 一种运行中的宇宙理性力量。

Students delved into this ordered mathematical world

学生们通过钻研这种 有序的数学世界

to achieve higher unity with this force, known as “the One.”

以求达到与这种被称作 “太一”的宇宙力量的统一。

While Hypatia was considered pagan—

希帕蒂娅被视作 非基督徒（pagan）——

a term for traditional Roman belief before Christianity—

一个用以描述基督教之前的 传统罗马信仰的称谓——

she worshipped no particular deity or deities,

她既不信仰一神， 也不信仰多神，

and her ideas could be applied alongside multiple religious viewpoints.

她的思想可被应用于多种 宗教观点中。

Jewish and Christian as well as pagan students

信仰犹太教、基督教， 甚至是不信教的学生

travelled from the farthest reaches of the empire to study with her.

都从帝国的各个角落 赶至此地向她学习。

The nonpartisan environment Hypatia fostered,

她所培养的这种 不分派系的学术氛围

where all students could feel comfortable,

使她所有的学生都能畅所欲言，

was especially remarkable given the religious and political turmoil

这在当时试图分裂亚历山大城的 政治宗教动乱中

that was fracturing the city of Alexandria at the time.

显得尤为可贵。

Christianity had recently become the Empire’s state religion.

后来，基督教一跃成为了 罗马帝国的国教。

The local archbishop Cyril had steadily gained political power,

当地大主教西瑞尔逐步掌权，

commanding zealous militias of Christian monks to destroy pagan temples

他命令由狂热的基督修道士 所组成的民兵组织去摧毁异教徒的寺庙，

and harass the Jewish population.

并侵扰犹太民族。

In doing so, he encroached on the secular authority of the Roman governor Orestes,

此举侵犯了罗马总督—— 一名温和的基督徒，

himself a moderate Christian, leading to a bitter public feud between the two men.

欧瑞斯提斯的世俗权威， 导致了二人之间的公开不和。

Because she was seen as a wise and impartial figure,

于是总督欧瑞斯提斯去找 睿智且持中立态度的

governor Orestes consulted Hypatia,

希帕蒂娅商量，

who advised him to act with fairness and restraint.

希帕蒂娅建议他 采取公正克制的举措。

But when a group of Cyril’s monks incited a riot,

但随后，一群西瑞尔的修道士 煽动了一场暴乱，

badly injuring Orestes in the process, he had their leader tortured to death.

导致欧瑞斯提斯身负重伤， 于是欧瑞斯提斯将他们的首领折磨致死。

Cyril and his followers blamed Hypatia,

西瑞尔及其追随者将一切 都怪到希帕蒂娅的头上，

accusing her of witchcraft to turn Orestes against Christianity.

指控她施行了巫术， 使欧瑞斯提斯与基督教反目。

In March 415, as Hypatia was traveling through the city,

公元 415 年三月， 希帕蒂娅的马车正在城中行驶，

the bishop’s militia of monks dragged her from her carriage

主教的修道士民兵将她拖出马车，

and brutally murdered and dismembered her.

并残忍地谋杀，肢解了她。

Hypatia’s death was a turning point in the politics of Alexandria.

希帕蒂娅之死成了亚历山大城 政坛的转折点。

In the wake of her murder,

她被谋杀后，

other philosophers in the Greek and Roman tradition fled,

其他信奉传统希腊罗马思想的 哲学家纷纷逃离此地，

and the city’s role as a center of learning declined.

亚历山大城作为 学术中心地位也日渐衰落了。

In a very real way,

在某种意义上，

the spirit of inquisition, openness, and fairness she fostered

希帕蒂娅所推动的那种 求知、开放与公正的精神

died with her.

也随她一同逝去了。