Agora – The Movie
I finally had the opportunity to watch the whole movie – Agora (2010 on DVD). This is the movie about Hypatia of Alexandria (circa 400 CE). It was an excellent movie despite the tragedy that ended her life and that of her fellow Alexandrian Neo-platonists at the hands of Christian mobs. Famous actress Rachel Weisz was great as Hypatia. Her story was rather swept under the rug in history as it made the rising tide of Christianity look bad as it virtually eclipsed and waned great philosophical traditions and a diverse and cosmopolitan city. Hypatia was brilliant scientist, astronomer, and philosopher that taught with her father, Theon, at the famous library of Alexandria. Her students were Pagans, Christians, and Jews. Her story is one of exemplary courage and wisdom in the face of the tyranny of the Christian mobs. The depiction of the Christians was so fanatically aggressive that there was a disclaimer at the beginning of the movie – the views of the movie don’t necessarily reflect the views of such and such studio – that sort of thing. But according to historians and the Neo-platonists on-line the depictions were accurate. Hypatia was especially interested in astronomy and is thought by some to have discovered the elliptical orbits of the planets 1200 years ahead of Kepler and to have at least well-considered heliocentric views – of course that would have been a fairly radical heresy to the importance of the circles and spheres of Plato. Hypatia was also exemplary as a woman. Since very few women were in academic positions such as her, this became part of her downfall as the new Christians would not permit women in such positions. While it is also true that the Ancient Greeks de-valued women in some ways I think things were perhaps better in pre-Christian Alexandria. She committed no crimes but her lynching and murder were particularly viscious. She refused to bow down and give up her beliefs along with her friend, the prefect Orestides on the orders of Bishop Cyril (later St. Cyril). Hypatia should be considered a heroine not only among all pagans, philosophers, and astronomers, but also to all women and indeed all people who cherish social sanity and courage to defend one’s beliefs against tyranny. One of my favorite lines from the movie is when after her father’s death she looks up at the sky and says, “Venus and Mars share a house in Aquarius. My father would have celebrated such a conjunction with a good wine.” Symbolically, her death could even represent the beginning of the European Dark Ages where intellectual freedom was curbed under the flag of one religion rather than many co-existing. Anyway – this is a great movie – tragic yes, but also inspiring.
