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beautiful, virtuous,and learned lady of antiquity, daughter of Theon, who governed the Platonic School at Alexandria, the place of her birth and education, in the latter part of the fourth Century. Socrates tells us, that Hypatia "arrived at such a pitch of learning, as very far to exceed all the philosophers of her time." But our notions of her will be prodigiously heightened, when we. consider, that succeeding her father, as she actually did, in the government of the Alexandrian School, she taught out of that chair where Ammonius, Hierocles, and many greet and celebrated philosophers had taught; and this at a time, too, when men of immense learning abounded both at Alexandria and in many other parts of the Roman empire. She was murdered about 415, in consequence of the factions which rent that city, by the followers of St. Cyril.

emperor Theophilus having assembled the most beautiful young women of the empire, for the purpose of chusing a wife, fixed upon Icasia, and gave orders for her coronation; but on her answering some questions he proposed to her, in a manner at once learned and acute, he changed his mind. Icasia, therefore, retired into a monastery, where she composed many works. F. C.

IRENE,