Hypatia's prominence was accentuated by the fact that she was both female and pagan in an increasingly christian environment. Shortly before her death, Cyril was made the christian bishop of Alexandria, and a conflict arose between Cyril and the prefect Orestes.

 

Orestes was disliked by some christians and was a friend of Hypatia, and rumors started that Hypatia was to blame for the conflict. In the spring of 415 C.E., the situation reached a tragic conclusion when a band of christian monks seized Hypatia on the street, beat her, and dragged her body to a church where they mutilated her flesh with sharp tiles and burned her remains.

 

There are a few reasons why I think Hypatia is important, but most of all because of the situation surrounding her death.  Hypatia was a woman philosopher, and a pagan during one of the most horrifying times in history; the crusades.  Hypatia did not want to be converted to christianity, so they brutally beat her and tore her body to pieces, then they burned her.  All of Hypatia's philosophical contributions to her day and age were destroyed when the christians burned the Library of Alexandria where she worked. 

 

Hypatia was an extraordinary woman that believed in the natural earth path and would not bow down and convert to christianity.  For that, I will remember her!