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.
