Hyparchy

Many women have also had a fundamental role in the history of philosophy , women who were also pacifists , intellectuals and even religious whose influences have managed to establish several important aspects within philosophy. One of these women was Hipparchy , who represented the Cynical school and who lived in Greece as a disciple of Crates and Theodore the atheist.

Biography of Hiparquía

Hyparchy was born into an aristocratic family that lived in the city of Thrace , in Maroneia, around 330 BC, a place that in its time was a Greek territory. According to data collected, it is believed that Hipparchy’s parents emigrated, apparently from Athens around the year 335 BC. Following the traditions of the time, his parents sent Hyparchy with his brother Metrocles and in this way they managed to attend exclusive schools for children from aristocratic families. She was a highly talented student who impressed her teachers with her ability to easily understand the most complex subjects.

She prepared at home to be the future wife of a wealthy aristocrat , as was common at the time, however, traditional education and life as the future wife of some aristocrat never caught her attention. She was more interested in being able to study the different schools of thought and their multiple doctrines . As a teenager, his older brother Metrocles attended the Lyceum , the prestigious school of thinkers founded by Aristotle , to study psychology under Theophrastus and later began studying with Crates .

It was her brother Metrocles who had a great impact on her as women were forbidden to attend dialogues and public events of this type, but she asked him to tell her what happened at symposia. His brother would tell him what he had studied or discovered in the schools of thought and his opinions and then the two would discuss various issues.

During Hellenistic times , it was a tradition for wealthy students to host their teacher and fellow students at their residence for a dinner and a symposium. Metrocles invited Crates and some of his companions to his home. Attracted by the teachings of Crates, Hipparchy listened to the debate and was impressed by his teachings and asked that he accept her as a student . Crates, fearful that a woman leading a cynical lifestyle being punished, she tried in vain to prevent her from becoming his student, even her parents tried. Without being intimidated, she threatened everyone with going with Crates and he, trying to persuade her again, showed her how little she had and the disadvantages of being with a person who led a lifestyle like hers.

However, Hipparchy, almost 20 years younger than Crates, agreed to follow the life of a cynic and they married . Hipparchy left his home and his lavish lifestyle, donning a cape and carrying an empty backpack with Crates to join his school and his way of thinking. There are numerous stories surrounding his death . One of them claims that she lived to an advanced age and died of natural causes . The other says that she was ill, possibly with bubonic plague , and that she refused to take medicine or resort to other remedies due to her cynical conformity. He died of the disease at age 80 or older.

Thought

Hiparquía is considered one of the first women philosophers in the world and one of the most illustrious . His thought had a high philosophical content and he focused on the study of logic . For her thinking, she was widely criticized at the time, especially for having joined the cynical school . His thinking was based on debauchery and masculine activities . For her, equality between men and women was of the utmost importance and she did not give importance to morals or traditions that existed in her time.

Another of his thoughts focused on natural life and the search for self- sufficiency , which referred to self-sufficiency and for this reason, he was against the wealth of man, the conditions established by morality and for everything that it was considered essential for life. She was a philosopher who always defended her right to express herself in public and to think, as the total owner of her ideas.

Contributions of Hiparquía

Among his main contributions are the following:

• He challenged through his behavior a society that was characterized by being mainly patriarchal , misogynistic and macho .
• It laid the foundations for today’s feminism .
• He made several complaints with his school against the conventions and the corruption of politics.
• It is likely that their marriage had a strong influence on Zeno’s creation of Stoicism .

Importance

Hiparquía was one of the most important women in the field of philosophy , thanks to her and her position against the machismo that prevailed at the time, the bases for feminist movements had their bases, in fact she is considered the first feminist woman of history . She was also a woman who fought with all her might to find and establish gender equality as well as respect for the female sex .

Works of Hyparchy

Hiparquía did not write any books but his work went down in history by representing women and their right to think and to express themselves publicly. She was a woman who left great teachings for the female sex as well as ideas that promoted the freedom and rights that all women should have.

Phrases

Phrases that have been mentioned by Hyparchy are not recorded.