After my reference, in a previous post, to creative women of fine arts in Ancient Greece, I would like to refer to six important ancient Greek scientists.
Let's start with Aglaoniki, the daughter of the king of Thessaly, Igitor. This was the first female astronomer in Greece. Apollodorus writes that Aglaoniki could accurately calculate the time of the eclipses of the Sun and the Moon. She was helped by the Chaldean eclipse cycle, which she modified.
In modern times the name of the ancient Greek astronomer was given to the homonymous crater of the southern hemisphere of Aphrodite.
The next memorable Greek scientist was the doctor Agnodiki, who lived in the 4th century BC. century. At that time, women were not allowed to practice medicine, so in order to study it, Agnodiki disguised herself as a man and thus presented herself at the University of Alexandria. The Greek doctor later began to practice her profession, continuing to be disguised as a man. To her clients, of course, her secret was confessed. As her reputation for scientific success grew, the jealousy of her fellow doctors against her began to grow. She was therefore falsely accused of having illicit relations with her female patients. Thus, Agnodiki was forced to reveal that she was a woman, a fact that led her to trial. At the trial, all the women who were treated by her defended her. Thus Agnodiki was acquitted and the law on the abortion of women in medical science was repealed.
Aspasia was another exception of an ancient Greek woman who dealt with medical science and more specifically with gynecology and obstetrics. Her views and techniques were so remarkable that they were adopted by various doctors and surgeons of the Byzantine period.
Aspasia introduced her own surgical techniques for uterine hemorrhoids, varicoceles, and hydroceles, both of which are similar to recent, modern methods.She developed a technique for moving a breech baby to ease delivery.She also worked on preventive medicine with pregnant women.
Antiochis was a Greek physician and pharmacologist from Lycia. She became known for her book "Syntagologio". Her work was recognized by her compatriots, who in the 1st century AD erected a column in her honor with the inscription:
"For Antiochida, daughter of Didotos from the city of Tlos,
recognized by the Parliament and the Municipality of the city of Tlos
for her experience in medical science
this column has been set up. "
Cleopatra was a woman with excellent knowledge of Chemistry. She is known for her work "Gold production". Another well-known work of hers was "Cosmetics". In it he wrote about cosmetics, hair dyes, prescriptions for alopecia, hair loss, hair growth etc.
Finally, the famous Hypatia, the daughter of Theon, who was born in Alexandria in 370 AD, should definitely be mentioned.
In 392 AD Hypatia traveled to Athens, where he studied at the Neoplatonic School of Plutarch the Younger and his daughter, Asclepigenia. She also studied with Proclus and Hierocles. Then she went to Rome, where she continued her studies impressing with her intelligence and eloquence.
In 398 Hypatia returned to Alexandria, where he taught mathematics and philosophy. In 400 he succeeded Plotinus in the seat of philosophy at the Museum.
Isichius the Jew, who was her student, wrote about her:
"She was wearing the simple cloak of the philosopher and was running through the center of the city, publicly explaining the texts of Plato and Aristotle to those who wanted to hear them."
Hypatia produced a rich body of work on mathematics, astronomy, engineering and philosophy. Unfortunately this was destroyed by the burning of the library of Alexandria. Some of its excerpts were saved in works by other authors.
Hypatia also built a device for refining water, an instrument for measuring water level, and a graduated bronze hydrometer for measuring the specific gravity of a liquid.
Hypatia's insistence not to embrace Christianity, its teaching and its involvement in the political life of Alexandria, turned the Christian leadership of the city against it. Thus in 415 AD, under the orders of Cyril, the Patriarch of Alexandria, a fanatical mob of Christians violently dragged her into the streets and executed her with shells and shells.
The death of Hypatia was considered the end of ancient science.
