Agora
Spanish director Alejandro Amenabar’s movie, “Agora,” is based on the story of Hypatia (born between 350 and 370 CE) a Greek pagan woman from Alexandria, Egypt, who was a scholar, philosopher, mathematician and astronomer. In March 415, she was falsely accused of inciting religious turmoil. Hypatia was then set upon by a Christian mob led by a man called Peter, probably Peter the Reader, who was the assistant to Bishop Cyril. Hypatia was stripped and dragged through the streets, only to have her skin stripped off with potsherds, and was then burnt to death. Bishop Cyril was rewarded by being canonized
By way of definition, an agora was initially an open “place of assembly” in ancient Greek city-states for free-born male land-owners to discuss politics, current events, and philosophize. Later, it served as a marketplace where merchants kept stalls or shops
The movie, Agora, was awarded the Alfred P Sloan Foundation Feature Film Prize as it serves as (more…)