168 WOMAN IN SCIENCE 



dared that she was able to make the sun and moon disap- 

 pear at will. 



The first woman, however, to attain eminence as an as- 

 tronomer was undoubtedly Hypatia, that universal genius 

 of the ancient world, who seemed equally at home in litera- 

 ture, philosophy and mathematics, and who may justly be 

 regarded as one of the most highly gifted women that has 

 ever lived. In Alexandria, where she was born and lived, 

 this accomplished daughter of Theon taught not only phi- 

 losophy, but also algebra, geometry and astronomy. One 

 of her pupils, Synesius, who became Bishop of Ptolemais, 

 informs us that she was the inventor of two important as- 

 tronomical instruments: an astrolabe and a planisphere. 

 In addition to two mathematical works, a Treatise on the 

 Conies of Apollonius and a Commentary on the Arithmetic 

 of Diophantus, which was in reality a treatise on algebra, 

 she was the author of an Astronomical Canon, which con- 

 tained tables regarding the movements of the heavenly 

 bodies. It is generally supposed that this was an original 

 work; but there are some who think it was but a commen- 

 tary on the tables of Ptolemy. In this latter case Hypatia 's 

 work may still exist in connection with that of her father, 

 Theon, on the same subject. 1 



If the works of Hypatia had not been destroyed by the 

 ravages of time, they would undoubtedly prove that she 

 fully merited all the encomiums bestowed on her by an- 

 tiquity for her genius; and they would also prove, we may 

 well believe, that she deserved to be ranked not only with 

 the eminent mathematicians upon whose works she com- 

 mented, but also with such masters of astronomic science 

 as Ptolemy, Eratosthenes and Aristarchus. 



After the tragic death of Hypatia many centuries elapsed 

 before any other woman attracted attention for her work 

 in astronomy. Indeed, so neglected was the study of the 



iCf. the preceding chapter, p. 140. See also Histoire de I' As- 

 tronomic Ancienne, Tom. I, p. 317, par. M. Delambre, Paris, 1817. 



