Hipparchia

Hipparchia was a Cynic philosopher from Maroneia in Thrace. She was most likely born between 340 BCE and 330 BCE, and she became famous for her marriage to Crates the Cynic. They supposedly consummated their marriage in public, and were known for living according to the Cynic value of anaideia, or, shamelessness. Their marriage became the the favorite example of that virtue, which is based on the theory that any act virtuous enough to be done in private is no less virtuous when done in public. Most of what is known about Hipparchia is anecdotal in nature, reported by writers such as Diogenes Laertius who in Lives of Eminent Philosophers reports that she wrote letters, jokes, and philosophical refutations which were lost over the centuries. He also mentions that many stories were told about the "female philosopher."

She may have been introduced to philosophy by her brother Metrocles, who was a student in Aristotle's Lyceum and who later became a devoted follower of Crates.

Some report that Hipparchia and Crates had a son named Pasicles, and the Cynic Letters also mention that she raised children according to her Cynic values.

Hipparchia is also famous for her exchange with Theodorus the Atheist who challenged the legitimacy of her presence at a symposium. She defended her supposed abandonment of the loom and hearth by stating that she would rather spend her time on education rather than waste it on the loom. Her rejection of conventional women's roles was especially radical for her time and societal situation, as in ancient Greece the role of women was incredibly restrictive.

External links

• Reference to Hipparchia in Diogenes Laertius' Work (http://www.stoa.org/diotima/anthology/hipparchia.shtml)
• More on Hipparchia (http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/uc_fasolo1a.htm)

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