Here is the revelation of the identity of last week’s mystery philosopher:
Hypatia’s estimated date of birth was 370-350 CE; in 415 CE, she was killed by a Christian mob, accused of meddling in the affairs of Church vs state – a conflict between the governor Orestes and the Bishop of Alexandria
She was an astronomer and philosopher, and teacher. According to the Wikipedia article,
The contemporary Christian historiographer Socrates Scholasticus described her in Ecclesiastical History: There was a woman at Alexandria named Hypatia, daughter of the philosopher Theon, who made such attainments in literature and science, as to far surpass all the philosophers of her own time. Having succeeded to the school of Plato and Plotinus, she explained the principles of philosophy to her auditors, many of whom came from a distance to receive her instructions. On account of the self-possession and ease of manner which she had acquired in consequence of the cultivation of her mind, she not infrequently appeared in public in the presence of the magistrates. Neither did she feel abashed in going to an assembly of men. For all men on account of her extraordinary dignity and virtue admired her the more.
You can see a fictionalized account of Hypatia’s life in the recent movie Agora. Though not strictly historically accurate, it’s well worth watching.