ABSTRACT

It was Edward Gibbon who coined the phrase “the sacrifice of a virgin” when he described Hypatia’s gruesome murder in 415. According to him, it was the philosopher’s murder that “has imprinted an indelible stain on the character and religion of Cyril of Alexandria.” 1 Whether or to what a degree Cyril was involved in this calamity, we may never know. Undoubtedly, Hypatia with her knowledge, her humility, her modesty, her charisma, and her “mass appeal” irritated the young patriarch who relentlessly tried to expand the base of Christian influence in Alexandria and, consequently, his own religious and political authority.