WOMEN IN MATHEMATICS 137 



extent as during the ages of long ago. How far they have 

 any foundation in fact can best be determined by a brief 

 survey of what woman has achieved in the domain of 

 mathematics. 



Athenaaus, a Greek writer who flourished about A.D. 

 200, tells us in his Deipnosophistce of several Greek women 

 who excelled in mathematics, as well as philosophy, but 

 details are wanting as to their attainments in this branch 

 of knowledge. If, however, we may judge from the 

 number of women particularly among the hetaerae who 

 became eminent in the various schools of philosophy, espe- 

 cially during the pre-Christian era, we must conclude that 

 many of them were well versed in geometry and astronomy 

 as well as in the general science of numbers. Menagius 

 declares that he found no fewer than sixty-five women phi- 

 losophers mentioned in the writings of the ancients 1 ; and, 

 judging from what we know of the character of the studies 

 pursued in certain of the philosophical schools, especially 

 those of Plato 2 and Pythagoras, and the enthusiasm which 

 women manifested in every department of knowledge, there 

 can be no doubt that they achieved the same measure of 

 success in mathematics as in philosophy and literature. 3 



The first woman mathematician, regarding whose attain- 

 ments we have any positive knowledge, is the celebrated 

 Hypatia, a Neo-platonic philosopher, whose unhappy fate 

 at the hands of an Alexandrian mob in the early part of 

 the fifth century has given rise to many legends and ro- 

 mances which have contributed not a little toward obscur- 

 ing the real facts of her extraordinary career. She was 

 the daughter of Theon, who was distinguished as a mathe- 



1 ' ' Ipse mulieres Philosophas in libris Veterum sexaginta quinque 

 reperi," Historia Mulierum Philosopharum, p. 3, Amstelodami, 1692. 



2 Plato had inscribed above the entrance of his school, OuSels 

 dyew/j.rTjTos eiVtrw. Let no one enter here who is not a geometer. 



s Menagius in referring to this matter, op. cit., p. 37, writes as 

 follows: "Meritrices Graecas plerasque humanioribus literis et math- 

 ematicis disciplinis operam dedisse notat Athenseus. " 



