Hypatia of Alexandria (approx. AD 370 - 415) was the daughter of the mathematician Theon. She was a mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher (a prominent proponent of Neoplatonism) who became famous throughout the the eastern Mediterranean, and had a great number of students. She was an attractive woman as well, and had many male friends, although she rejected her suitors (I understand she had a revulsion for the physical aspects of love, although I haven't read the material cited for this). One of her more famous devotees was Synesius of Cyrene, bishop of Ptolemais in Libya. She became the Librarian of Alexandria (the Library of Alexandria was considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) and wrote commentaries on Apollonius' work on conic sections (geometry) and Diophantus (simple and quadratic equations, and early algebraic thought), as well as revising the third book of her father's Commentary on the Almagest (a commentary on Ptolemy's book series on astronomy).
When she reached middle age, Cyril (Saint Cyril) became the new Patriarch of Alexandria (a very high position in the Christian hierarchy of the times). He apparently had spent his early training with a rather virulent sect of Christian monks, and shortly after taking office, he kicked out another Christian sect on grounds of heresy. Later, he led a mob in destroying the homes and businesses of the Alexandrian Jewish community. The prefect of Egypt, Orestes, a friend of Hypatia, criticized Cyril for these acts; Cyril summoned his friends from the sect (the monks of Nitria) to act as his personal army. Cyril spread it about that the prefect was being corrupted by his friendship with this unclean Pagan woman.
In 415, Hypatia was dragged off her chariot by a mob of the monks, stripped, and dragged into a church where she was hacked to pieces by pottery sherds. Writers like Frank Frost view her as a woman normally lost in her studies and uninvolved directly with Cyril's doings, but at least one new book puts forth the theory that, as a leader of the intellectual community and a friend of Orestes, Hypatia was using her influence to stop Cyril's actions.
I have not read this new book, because it costs about 40 bucks locally, but its title is: Hypatia of Alexandria, written by Maria Dzielska and published by Harvard University Press. It is Volume #8 of their series "Revealing Antiquity". Perhaps your local university library has a copy or could be encouraged to purchase one...
Frank Frost's short description of Hypatia and her life in his book Greek Society (4th edition, D.C. Heath and Company) might be of interest to you. He gives references to other sources of information on Hypatia in various parts of his narrative.
Hope this helps, and blessed be!
Sarah Glenn