Hypatia was a brilliant Greek mathematician, astronomer, and Neoplatonist philosopher who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, part of the Eastern Roman Empire at the time. She was born around 355 AD and assassinated in March 415 AD. 

Her work set the basis for modern astronomy. She is the first female mathematician whose life and work was reasonably recorded. She was also a prominent teacher and orator attracting many loyal students and large audiences. Her education and passion for knowledge was cultivated due to her father Theon of Alexandria, a prominent mathematician and philosopher and the last attested member of the Alexandrian Museum.   

Throughout her studies Hypatia critically engaged with the works of Euclid, Archimedes, and Plato, mastering complex mathematical concepts as well as astronomy and ethics that was studied in Athens.

Hypatia became a prominent figure amongst Alexandria’s ruling class, a figure whose teachings and works were met with high regard and respect in Alexandria. It is said that she had counseled Orestes, the Roman prefect of Alexandria, who was embroiled in a personal conflict with Alexandria's bishop, Cyril. Rumors circulated accusing her of preventing Orestes from reconciling with Cyril and, in March 415 AD, she was murdered by a mob of Christians.

Α scholar and philosopher

Ας Hypatia grew older, she became renowned for her eloquence, wisdom, and profound insights into mathematics, astronomy and philosophy. Her lectures at the Neoplatonic School of Alexandria attracted many educated minds, creating a lively and diverse intellectual environment that encouraged academic curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge.  

Her contribution to mathematics and astronomy was equally significant as it laid the groundwork for future advancements in these fields. Her astronomical observations and calculations contributed to a deeper understanding of celestial phenomena, paving the way for the development of modern astronomy.

It is believed that Book III of Theon’s version of Ptolemy’s Almagest—the treatise that established the Earth-centric model for the universe that wouldn’t be overturned until the time of Copernicus and Galileo—was actually the work of Hypatia. Her work is believed to be a refined technique for the long division algorithms required for computation in astronomy.

In Mathematics she wrote a commentary on Diophantus’s thirteen-volume Arithmetica, setting out more than 100 mathematical problems, for which solutions are proposed using algebra. 

Hypatia constructed astrolabes and hydrometers, but did not invent either of these, which were both in use long before she was born. She was tolerant towards Christians and taught many Christian students, including Synesius, the future bishop of Ptolemais. According to a letter from Synesius, Hypatia showed him how to build a silver plane astrolabe, which is a tool for determining the date and time by using the positions of the planets and stars. In a different letter, Synesius asks Hypatia to build him a "hydroscope," which is a tool for figuring out a liquid's specific gravity or density.   

Overall, Hypatia was a Neoplatonist; yet, similar to her father, she accepted Plotinus's original formulation of Neoplatonism rather than Iamblichus's. In fact, during that period, the philosophy of the Alexandrian school was well renowned, and Alexandria was considered the intellectual hub of the Greco-Roman world, second only to Athens.

Enduring legacy and significance

What distinguishes Hypatia as a prominent philosopher is not only her intellectual brilliance but also her defiance of societal norms that sought to confine women to domestic roles. During a time where women were expected to be housewives and mothers, Hypatia showed that female education should be encouraged. Hypatia’s pursuit of knowledge and great achievements challenged gender stereotypes, making her legacy all the more significant. 

Hypatia was and continues to be a source of inspiration for many intellectuals, writers, and artists. Charles Kingsley labeled her as "the last of the Hellenes" in his novel Hypatia, published in 1853. Kingsley's book was swiftly turned into a wide range of theatrical productions and produced visual art, such as an 1885 painting by Charles William Mitchell and an 1867 portrait by pioneering photographer Julia Margaret Cameron that showed Hypatia as a young lady.

Moreover, Elbert Hubbard, an American writer, purportedly wrote a biography of Hypatia in his series published in 1908. Hypatia was taken up by feminists during the same period, and the women's rights movement started to influence how people saw her life and death. Agora, a 2009 film directed by Alejandro Amenábar, starring Rachel Weisz as Hypatia, refers to the latter years of Hypatia in a highly dramatized way.

Today, as we commemorate the life and legacy of Hypatia, we are reminded of the enduring relevance of her ideals. In honoring Hypatia, we pay tribute to the enduring legacy of Greek intellect and the timeless pursuit of knowledge that continues to enrich our lives and illuminate the path to a brighter future.

Anna-Maria Papadopoulos (This is an article taken from Greece In America, the official newsletter of the Embassy of Greece in Washington. Intro image: Fictional portrait of Hypatia by Jules Maurice Gaspard)

Read also via Greek News Agenda: Beyond Socrates – Greek philosophers you might not know

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Stelios Faitakis (1976 - October 6, 2023) was renowned for his large-format paintings that evolved within the young Athenian graffiti scene of the 1990s. A graduate of the Athens School of Fine Arts, Faitakis used the techniques of Byzantine icon painting to create complex and elaborate visual metaphors questioning the values of contemporary society. During his short life and through his rich oeuvre, Faitakis broke new ground, combining contrasting narratives and traditions. Through his purely personal style, he has been recognized as one of Greece's most important contemporary artists.

His intention was to offer viewers an opportunity to escape what he perceived as the strict rationalism of our times, as dictated by science and technology and the mechanization of human contact. Through his anthropocentric works, filled with surrealist elements, allegories and paradoxes, Faitakis creates enigmas while using irony, drama and metaphors, always in a harmonious balance.

Rooted in the rich tradition of Byzantine art, Faitakis sought out and used a variety of artistic means from different backgrounds, including Mexican monumental painting, Tibetan art, Japanese manga, the Flemish school of painting and others, without reducing himself to a barren reproduction of other styles.

Thematically, the essence of his work is the study of the so-called "human condition", which is linked to unanswered existential questions. In this context, his work draws on religion and spirituality, philosophy, other art forms, science, human interaction, history, etc., bringing all these elements together to create a complex narrative.

Faitakis' works have been featured in various solo and group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, including: the 1st Riga International Biennial of Contemporary Art (RIBOCA1, 2018), Antidoron, exhibition at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens (EMST), in the context of Documenta 14, Kassel (2017), Right to the Future  at MISP – Museum of the 20th and 21st Century Art in St. Petersburg (2017), TEMPLON, exhibition at the Museum of Byzantine Culture, Thessaloniki (2017), Shared Sacred Sites, exhibition at the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art (MOMus), Thessaloniki (2017), a large-scale mural on the façade of the Danish Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale (2011), and Art in the Street, exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA).

In 2016 Faitakis presented a mural project on the Palais de Tokyo building in Paris inspired by the May '68 protests, in the context of Lasco Projects # 6, curated by Hugo Vitrani, drawing comparisons with contemporary socio-political unrest around the world. Particular attention was paid to the building's structure, as the painter adapted his composition to the museum's architectural elements, underlining the historical relationship between painting and architecture.

Stelios Faitakis' most recent solo exhibition took place in 2018 at the Galerie Rabouan Moussion in Paris titled "Scientific Dogma".

Source text and photos: Stelios Faitakis Facebook page

Read also via Greek News Agenda: Arts in Greece | Fotis Kontoglou, The Greatest Icon-Painter of Modern Greece

Translated from the original article which appeared on Grèce Hebdo (Intro image: In the Service of Progress, 2018, mixed media on wood)

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Maria Callas was arguably the quintessential soprano, lauded for her exceptional vocal range, dramatic versatility, and ability to convey deep emotions through her performances. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century, credited with reviving interest in bel canto opera and popularizing it to a wider audience – all of which rightfully earned her the characterization "La Divina (The Divine One)".

The centenary of her birth, celebrated in 2023, has served as an opportunity for older generations to revisit her performances as well as for younger ones to discover her artistic genius through a series of various retrospectives, tribute performances of her most iconic roles, temporary exhibitions and even a new museum in Athens. The occasion has also inspired the release of restored video recordings, documentaries, as well as an upcoming book (Diva, by bestselling author Daisy Goodwin) and a film (Maria, by awarded director Pablo Larraín).

Early Life and Education

Maria Callas was born on December 2, 1923, in New York City, to Greek parents who had recently migrated there. Her father, George Kalogeropoulos, would later shorten his long surname to "Kalos" and subsequently to "Callas". They had a daughter and son before the birth of Maria.

From a young age, Callas exhibited a gift for music and singing; her mother, Evangelia (Litsa), –whose own dreams for a career as an artist had been crushed– pressured her into pursuing this talent, to the resentment of her father. The couple, who faced various problems in their relationship, eventually split, and, in 1937, Evangelia left for Athens with her two daughters.

In Athens, Callas’ mother enrolled her at the Greek National Conservatoire, after she failed in her audition for the more prestigious Athens Conservatoire. Although initially training as a contralto, her teacher realized that her voice was actually fit for a dramatic soprano, and adjusted her training accordingly.

Callas auditioned for the Athens Conservatoire a second time, and was accepted. After she had concluded her studies at the Greek National Conservatoire, she studied under the acclaimed Spanish coloratura soprano Elvira de Hidalgo, who worked as a vocal teacher at the Athens Conservatory and as an artistic consultant at the Greek National Opera (founded in 1939, as a branch of Greece’s National Theater). Under de Hidalgo's guidance, Callas developed her vocal range, control, and the unique timbre that would later set her apart as an operatic phenomenon.

Rise to fame

Callas signed her first contract with the Greek National Opera in 1940, under her birth name (Maria Kalogeropoulou); she made her professional opera debut in February 1941 playing the small part of Beatrice in Franz von Suppé's operetta Boccaccio. In 1942, she starred as Tosca in Puccini’s famous opera of the same name, and went on to perform important parts in GNO’s subsequent productions.

In 1947, she made her Italian debut at the Arena di Verona, in the title role of Ponchielli’s La Gioconda. In 1949, at the Teatro Comunale Giuseppe Verdi in Trieste, she sang the role of Elvira in Bellini's I puritani, a role that gave her the chance to really demonstrate her abilities. This performance marked the beginning of her international career as Maria Callas, which took her to some of the most prestigious opera houses in the world.

Already in 1950, she appeared at Milan’s iconic Teatro alla Scala in Verdi’s I Vespri Siciliani; at the same theater, in 1952, she performed the title role in Bellini's Norma, a role she reprised that same year at Covent Garden, to great critical acclaim. This performance catapulted her to international stardom. In 1954, she sang Norma for her American debut with the Chicago Lyric Opera and in 1956 she made debut at the Metropolitan Opera.

Among her most historic performances we also find the role of Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata at La Scala (1955); Rosina in Rossini’s Barbiere di Siviglia at La Scala (1956); the eponymous role in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor in Rome (1957); Puccini’s Tosca at Covent Garden (1958); Imogene in Bellini’s Il Pirata in New York (1959); and the leading part in Cherubini’s Medea at La Scala (1961). She also made excellent recordings that remain among the highest selling of their kind – some of the most famous examples include Norma ( 1955), Turandot (1957) and Carmen (1964). In 1969, she collaborated with famous Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini, starring in his cinematic version of Euripides’ Medea, in her sole film role, which was also her only non-singing role.

Personal life and death

In 1947, Maria Callas had met Giovanni Battista Meneghini, a much older Italian industrialist, who supported her through the early years of her career; they got married in 1949. Her marriage practically ended in 1959 (although it wasn’t dissolved until 1966), due to her romance with famous Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Their affair was a source of intense media attention and scandal, and ended when Onassis decided to marry former First Lady Jackie Kennedy in 1968, adding heartbreak to the psychological burden of her declining career, as her voice slowly started to lose its power.

Callas taught master classes at the Juilliard school (1971–72). She sang in public for the last time in 1973. She would spend her final years living mostly in isolation in Paris; she died of a heart attack at age 53 on September 16, 1977.

Legacy and Influence

Maria Callas stands out as a truly unique and transformative figure. Her legacy continues to inspire and influence opera singers and opera lovers around the world. Her recorded performances and live recordings continue to inspire and captivate new generations of opera enthusiasts. Her impact on the art form extended beyond her time, shaping the expectations of opera audiences and influencing subsequent generations of opera singers.

Callas possessed a remarkable vocal technique, with a wide range, exceptional breath control, and the ability to produce both powerful and delicate sounds. She was also a master of coloratura singing, which is characterized by rapid and intricate vocal passages. Beyond her vocal abilities, Callas was also known for her powerful stage presence and dramatic versatility, as she was able to convincingly portray a wide range of characters, from tragic heroines to comedic ingenues. Her performances were known for their emotional intensity and psychological depth.

As British novelist and screenwriter Daisy Goodwin -author of Diva, an upcoming book about the life of the great soprano- recently told The Guardian: "Even someone who has never heard of Callas, if they look her up online singing the second act of Tosca, can see she was extraordinary, and not just for her singing but the way she plays the role", adding that "the reason she’s still such an icon is that, while she is a genius of course, she transformed opera".

In addition to her technical mastery and dramatic prowess, Callas was also a highly intelligent and insightful artist, deeply committed to her craft and constantly seeking to improve her performances. Her dedication and passion for opera were evident in every performance she gave, while even her distinctive style, elegance and fashion sense, both on and off-stage, made her stand out and influenced the trends of her time.

Maria Callas will forever be remembered as the epitome of operatic excellence and as a symbol of artistic courage and emotional depth in the world of opera.

Read also via Greek News Agenda: The Greek National Opera pays tribute to Maria Callas; A tribute to Maria Callas by the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy on ERTFLIX

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