I cannot give the author enough credit for writing such an enlightening account of the life of Hypatia based upon such limited historical resources. This was clearly a labor of love and the result of painstaking research.
I found the book to be enlightening in a number of ways - firstly, in the way Ms. Dzielska clearly illuminates a very complex historical era, so that it is approachable for any educated reader - secondly, in the manner she clearly introduces the reader to the neo-Platonic concepts Hypatia taught and represented with her life, and finally, the lucid manner in which she develops her case for the reasons Hypatia was murdered.
Hypatia of Alexandria is, in my opinion, a work of first-rate scholarship and literary artistry: I will not say anything regarding the book's conclusions and thereby possibly diminish the enjoyment of this book for the reader - only that I am not entirely convinced by the somewhat startling final thesis. Yet that reservation in no way diminishes either the solid factual foundation of her argument or the brilliance with which she presents it.
I would highly recommend this volume to anyone interested in late antiquity, in neo-Platonic philosophy, or the development of Christianity in Byzantium.
No comments:
Post a Comment