The Master's wound is festering.
I know.
Davus.
Davus!
You're free.
Go.
Hence forth, in Alexandria
only Christian and Jewish worship shall be permitted.
Pagan sacrifices,
worshipping pagan symbols
and visiting pagan temples shall no longer be allowed.
Should anyone commit such an act or dare raise his eyes to the statues
of his former gods, he shall be punished without clemency.
After taking the Library, many pagans were converted and, for a period, Alexandria lived in peace.
Hypatia continued teaching and researching, and her former students held key posts in the social elite.
The Empire was forever split in two. Many Christians saw this as a sign of the world's ending and decided
to prepare by practicing a more holy life.
The order of Parabalani monks was charged to patrol the streets and maintain Christian morality...
...now disturbed by the presence of the Jews.
The Library, years later.
Damn Jews!
They're just a bunch of good-for-nothing thugs! Pack animals!
Joran, my dear friend, calm down.
Let Bishop Cyril speak in his own defense.
Prefect,
our blessed Parabalani,
whom he has just called
Beasts of Burden,
devote themselves true enough to carrying burdens...
Crippled, the sick, the lepers...
And stones!
Prefect, they carry stones.
And now, they burst into the theatre
and they stone us, knowing we will do nothing to defend ourselves.
Because it is the Sabbath!
On the Sabbath you should honor God
in your synagogues instead of stuffing yourselves
with sweets at the theatre.
That is why the stones fell upon you.
Prefect, do you hear that? Now, he's threatening us. This is too much.
Friends, there are more things that unite us than divide us.
We are brothers! We're all brothers.
Where would you Christians be
without the Jews? Jesus was a Jew!
There is..something I find
disturbing in what you've told me.
- What? Well,
Why does Cyril speak of cleaning up the city?
Is he not satisfied with what he already has?
I think he's just trying to frighten the Jews.
But why say it in front of you?
What if really he was addressing you and not them?
Me?
Why? I'm as much a Christian as he is.
Yes, but you forget
that many of us from your circle are not.
At a full sail, prefect.
Let�s go.
-Aspasius, you ready? Yes, mistress.
I would like you to take the sack and climb to the top of the mast.
And now, Lady,
Will you finally tell me what the point of all this is?
When Aspasius
drops the sack, the boat will be moving forwards.
Therefore, the sack
won't fall at the foot of the mast,
but will fall further back. I would say about...
About here.
And what is so special about that?
- Yes! - But you were wrong!
Yes, but this is the definitive proof!
It's definitive. The sack...
The sack behaved as if the boat was stationary.
What does that mean?
I don't know.
But the same principle could be applied to the Earth.
It could be moving around the Sun without us realizing.
-Aristarchus. Exactly.
Why do you torment yourself with that, Lady?
Ptolemy's not perfect but...
It works.
Orestes, but you were the one who...
A few years ago, you weren't so pragmatic, Prefect.
Well, a few years ago, I talked first and thought later.
I have Cepheus third.
37.
48.
Venus and Mars
share a house in Aquarius.
My father would have celebrated such a conjunction with a good wine.
The stars will not fall. - Oh really?
No, because they're fixed to the lid of the chest.
The lid would open in two halves and then Jesus will appear.
What chest are you talking about?
Don't you know that the universe is a gigantic chest?
Heaven is the lid on top and the Earth, the ground...
They haven't told this fool that the Earth is round.
The Earth is flat.
Your head is flat.
Read the Scriptures!
If the Earth is round,
why don't the people at the bottom fall off?
And what about the ones on the sides?
Why don't they slide off?
Think about that.
Davus knows.
Hey, brother.
What do you say?
Is the Earth flat or round?
Only God knows those things.
Leave them on the ground!
That's where they belong.
Lady, you must not lose heart.
Today on the boat you made great progress.
Why do the wanderers bury their brightness?
So unexpectedly.
And what is worse,
why does the Sun...
Why does it change size from summer to winter?
Perhaps because...
Sometimes it is nearer...
And other times it is further away.
But Aspasius,
watch...
According to Aristarchus, the Sun must be
at the center of everything.
With us, the Earth,
traveling in a circle around it.
Therefore,
and this is the key,
we're always at exactly...
the same...
distance.
Now, if as you just said, we accept the changes in distance,
then we are forced to add
an epicycle to the Earth's orbit.
So it is going to be nearer and then it's going to be further away.
But now we fall into the same trap as Ptolemy.
Circle upon circles. - Exactly!
So I just do not know how to resolve this conflict.
I mean, the only thing we could do is...
displace the sun from the center and well...
not to have a center.
It breaks my heart, Aspasius.
So tell me, what do I do?
Rest, lady.
Parabolani!
- Parabolani! - What is happening?
Parabolani, quick! Help!
St. Alexander's on fire!
It's a fire.
Come on!
Get water! Get the bucket! Quick! Take this!
Hurry!
Quick!
Come on, come on!
Parabolani!
Parabolani, quick!
Where's the fire?
Jews! It's a trap.
It's a trap!
Christians, all.
Last night was a night to deplore.
Now I say to you.
Grieve no longer for our dead brothers.
Weep not.
Shed your tears for the others,
for they are executioners.
Yes, yes.
Weep for them. For those who have done this,
Know not of God,
not of love, not of piety.
They know not
because it is they
who repeat the words of the Scriptures with no understanding at all.
It is they who saw only a man
when the Son of God was standing in front of them.
And it is they who in
their blindness, mocked him and crucified him.
Yes
Weep! Weep for the Jews,
those evil butchers of our Lord.
Because God...
because God, God, God has already condemned them.
It is God's will..
that they live as slaves
cursed and exiled until the end of time.
Cursed and exiled!
Lady, do not stop, Lady.
Now all the Jews will want to retaliate.
I'm afraid you don't understand what's really happening.
When this is all over, there will be no more Jews in Alexandria.
I'm sorry for bursting in like this.
Lady, you should not have risked coming here.
Where are the troops?
Why are there no more soldiers on the streets?
No army could contain that mob. The entire city is in a frenzy.
He's calling for the annihilation of women and children.
A bishop!
- A Christian! Then lock him up.
Prefect.
You should have him arrested.
It's not so easy.
Lady,
Cyril knows they both share the same faith.
That places our Prefect in a very...
Awkward position.
If he defends the Jews, half the city will rise up
against this government.
I see.
If you choose to do nothing though,
I believe Cyril will
continue to do the same thing over and over again until...
until there is no one left in this city.
No people for this government to govern.
How naive of me...
How naive of me to think we have finally changed.
Jews out!
First, they kill them...
Then they bury them.
The Bishop of Cyrene.
- What is he doing here? I'll find out.
It's my little library of Alexandria.
It's where I teach the children.
An Apollonian cone.
Yes, I built it to teach them about the four curves.
The Circle.
The ellipse.
Orestes should really be here by now.
Parabola.
And a hyperbola.
It's truly beautiful.
You know, I often look at it and I always wonder
why does the circle coexist with such
impure shapes?
What I'd give to sit here and listen to you again.
I'd bore you.
It's been a long time since I've done anything but
beat my head against the stone.
Anyhow, there are more important matters at hand.
Forgive me.
Two Christians in the hands of a heathen.
It's an outrage!
- How many left? I don't know but it smells.
Ammonius.
Does God speak with you?
All the time.
Ammonius this, Ammonius that. Ammonius, Ammonius, Ammonius.
Today, he spoke to me
so quickly, I had to ask him: "slow down".
Tell me something.
Do you ever think we're mistaken?
Why?
I was forgiven...
But now, I can't forgive.
Forgive?
Who?
The Jews?
Well, Jesus pardoned them on the cross.
Jesus was God
and only He can show such clemency.
How dare you compare yourself to God?
Brother.
We are still alive.
Why?
Because it was
His will to save us from the stones.
God wants us here, doing what we do.
Don't you believe in that anymore?
[incomprehensible]
Cyril is a very proud man.
He'll agree to meet, but he won't discuss the Jews, he'll only discuss peace.
Peace?
My suggestion, as your humble advisor in this affair,
is for you to accept.
Let peace be foremost.
Lady, what do you think? - Well, I...
I don't think it's very encouraging.
Why would he want to come and see Orestes
without any concrete proposals? - There is something else.
He won't come to you.
Demands he meet you in the Library,
during the Sunday service.
In the Library? Why?
Only Christians are being permitted to enter the Library since it was stormed.
It is a provocation!
Allow me to suggest.
If you consider your presence
so essential
why not let yourself be baptized?
The majority of us here,
beginning with our Prefect, have accepted Christ.
Why not the rest of you?
It's only a matter of time and you know it!
Really?
It is just a matter of time?
Well, excuse me,
honored member, but as far as I am aware,
your God has not yet proved himself
to be more just or more merciful than his predecessors.
Lady.
Is it really just a question of time before I accept your faith?
Why, then,
should this assembly
accept the counsel of someone who admittedly
believes in absolutely nothing?
I believe in philosophy.
Philosophy.
Just what we need
in times like these.
Enough!
All these years, I've been studying.
With absolutely no life of my own.
And I wonder, what was the point?
Oh, forget about what was said today.
Is this all life holds for me?
What else?
I doubt anyone could see you as a...
devoted wife
and mother.
I think...
I think everyone in the city knows the story of the handkerchief.
So...
My father loved a woman.
Even he...
Who have I ever loved?
Except you,
Libanius.
If I could just...
Just unravel this...
Just a little bit more.
And just get a little closer to the answer, then...
Then I would...
Then I would go to my grave a happy woman.
Why?
Why does that mean so much to you?
Right now,
this very second, the whole Earth could be moving...
And no one realizes it.
Except you and me.
Believe me Lady, it's best no one does.
Do you really not think it important?
I don't understand why you insist on moving the ground we walk on.
Well, you saw for yourself what happened on the boat.
Yes, I did. But that does not necessarily mean the Earth moves.
What if it does?
Hypatia, look around you.
Death,
horror
destruction.
If the stars move in a circle
why would they share their perfection with us?
So we don't move...
In a circle.
We don't move...
Circle.
We do not move in a circle.
Ever since Plato...
All of them: Aristarchus, Hipparchus, Ptolemy...
They have all tried to reconcile their observations
with circular orbits but...
What if another shape is hiding in the heavens?
Another shape?
Lady, there is no shape purer than the circle. You taught us that.
I know, but suppose, just suppose the
"purity" of the circle
has blinded us from seeing anything beyond it.
In the same way that the glare of the sun blind us from actually seeing the stars.
I must begin all over with...
with new eyes.
I must rethink everything. I have to rethink everything.
Reading from the first letter of Paul to Timothy.
I desire, therefore, that everywhere
men should lift up holy hands in prayer
without anger or disputing.
In like manner,
I desire women
to dress modestly,
with decency and propriety...
Not with braided hair
or gold or pearls
or expensive clothes,
but with good deeds. - Why is he reading this passage?
I don't know, prefect. I assure you it is not the one we agreed upon.
That a woman learn
in quietness and in full submission. I do not permit a woman
to teach or to have authority over a man,
but to be
in silence.
This is the word of God!
Amen.
Jesus himself
knew this when he
entrusted his holy legacy to twelve men
Men.
Not a woman among them.
And yet,
I know of some in Alexandria
who admire and even trust in the word of a woman.
The philosopher Hypatia.
A woman who declared,
in public, her ungodliness.
A witch!
Dignitaries,
it is time for you all to reconcile yourselves with Christ.
This is the word of God.
Kneel before it and embrace its truths.
Kneel.
Is he not going to kneel?
Kneel!
Sinner!
I am a Christian!
- I am a Christian! - You're not a Christian!
I'm as Christian as you are.
Make way! Make way for the prefect!
Make way!
I am a baptized Christian!
I will kill you!
I am as Christian as you.
I am as Christian as you are.
I mean, how could such a thing be possible?
The culprit has been executed.
I would like you to take me to the prefect immediately.
Lady, he himself gave the order
for you to be confined to the house until further notice.
At the moment your presence on the street is not advisable.
For what reason?
Cyril has made some serious accusations against you.
And, um...
What does he accuse me of?
Ungodliness...
And witchcraft.
I see.
Is something bothering you, Lady?
No.
Why don't you tell me what's worrying you?
Prefect, why don't you bite on it?
Speak.
The Bishop of Cyrene wishes to see you.
All of you...
Prefect, the wound is not yet closed.
Get out. Get out!
All of you out! Out!
Well, that went well.
You think I had a part in this?
Would I show my face here if I wanted to betray you?
- Are you blind? I was, yes, I was blind.
Well, it's my head,
he's wanted all along, it's me...
That snake is after.
This government!
This city!
Now, listen.
- War is brewing. I know.
Then swear your loyalty to me.
To the Empire. Do it!
Condemn him or get out.
I will do it.
On my knees, if necessary.
And not only that.
In a few days, I can gather other bishops from the province
and amongst from the desert all against Cyril.
First, I must ask you a question.
Orestes, do you believe in Jesus?
Do I what?
- Do you believe in Jesus? - Do I what?!
Are you a true Christian?
Or did you like so many others, only convert
to prosper in politics? - Synesius.
Why didn't you kneel?
- What choice did I have? - Why didn't you kneel?
What choice did I have?
Betray Hypatia?
Condemn her?
Would you have done that?
I would never offend God.
It's he, he is offending God. He is offending Him.
He's twisting His words, he's using the Scriptures.
He read
what is written.
How many women do you obey?
How many?
How many do you admire and listen to?
Only...
One.
Only one.
The Scripture...
The Scripture is correct...
And it was in His hands.
Brother, don't you see?
Don't you see the insult to God?
In front of everyone.
I don't know...
I don't know what... What I believe...
You have to tell him.
Go tell him now, Orestes. Tell him you believe in what is written.
- I believe... - Don't tell me. Tell Him.
Tell God.
Kneel!
Many are those who remember today the miracles
our beloved brother performed in life.
Like the time he commended himself to the Father
and threw himself into the fire and was not even singed.
Ammonius,
dead for bravely defending your faith in Christ.
I proclaim you a martyr.
A saint.
From now on, you shall be known as...
Saint Taumasius.
We want justice!
Justice!
May God show us the way,
my dear Parabalani. Little else can I say to you.
What about the monks of Nitria?
I count on at least 500 of them.
plus 500 of our own men...
Do you think that's enough? - He's the prefect...
He has a whole army to protect him.
Listen!
Why don't we do something much more simple and effective?
What are you talking about?
We can hurt him where it hurts most.
How?
That whore. - Who?
What if we dared to look at the world just as it is?
Let us shed for a moment every preconceived idea.
What shape would it show us? What shape?
You once said that the problem lies in the inconsistency of the Sun.
Yes I did, good, good... Put it into words.
The Sun must be at the center, since we revolve around it.
And at the same time,
in another position since our distance from it varies.
Yes, exactly. - How?
How could it occupy two positions at once?
Aspasius...
Yes, yes. There. And then the other one here.
Keeping the same proportion.
Good. Very good. Now, tie this end to that torch.
Aspasius.
I want you to imagine that this is the Earth.
And that each of these flames represent
the two extreme positions of the sun in relation to it.
In winter and in summer.
What would happen if both these positions were the two centers
of one and the same circle?
But it isn't possible, mistress.
Wait. What do we know about a circle? We know that the center of a circle
is always the same distance from any point along its perimeter.
- Exactly. Yes, so...
What if I divide the center into two...
but what I keep constant is the sum of their two distances to the perimeter.
Alright, look. I'll show you. Watch. As I move this rod along
the cord, as one segment increases
the other segment decreases, and vice versa.
Therefore the sum of the two is always going to be constant.
Do you see that?
Now, what if we apply this to the movement of the Earth?
What...
figure...
will we obtain?
An ellipse!
With the sun at one of its foci.
Because,
what is a circle except
a very special ellipse
whose foci have joined so close together that they appear to be one.
Perhaps, I'm completely raving, Aspasius.
I mean, why should this be so? Maybe I'm just...
Maybe I'm...
What do you think?
It could well be solved, mistress.
Alright, well, um, we'll continue with this tomorrow.
Get some sleep.
Good night, mistress. Good night.
Thank you.
Davus!
What are you doing?
Lady.
Let me see.
Why don't you sit down?
Where is everybody?
Please, sit down.
I have...
I have news for you too.
All dignitaries
who have yet to embrace the Christian faith
are to be baptized
in public.
The aim is very clear.
It's to add to our cause all the Christians in the city...
Decent folk, better,
to fight for me.
You speak of peddling faith.
Very well.
Since everything seems to have been decided already.
I don't understand why you required my presence here.
I am not a member of government.
No, you are more than that. You are the person I trust most
and everyone knows it.
You cannot be saying what you are saying.
Lady.
Many years ago...
Years ago, you taught us something.
If...
If two are...
equal to a third they are all equal to each other.
Do you remember?
Yes
The three of us, we are all good people.
And you, you are as Christian as we are!
Synesius, you don't question what you believe.
You cannot.
I must.
Well...
That's a pity,
Lady.
A great pity.
Our revered teacher,
taken away from what she herself taught us.
Or do you think I'm not aware of the insane things you invoke?
- Synesius! - With Earth moving around the Sun.
What next, Lady, what next?
I beg of you, you must let me go.
Let me in!
- I just wanna talk! - Why would she wanna see a Parabalani?
- Lady! - Go away, before we arrest you.
- Leave! - Aspasius!
It's me, Davus! Get off me.
- Tell them who I am! - Do you know this man? - Yes.
What do you want?
I need to speak to her. I need to speak with the mistress. Where is she?
My mistress is not here. - It's urgent! Where is she?
She's at the prefect's palace.
- Where? - The prefect palace!
Prefect's palace. Thank you. -Get out of here.
Who was that?
He was a slave once.
Wait, please! Wait! I beg you.
If you don't agree, I won't be able to protect you any longer.
I won't be able to have dealings with you.
Or even greet you.
Hypatia.
Don't you see?
I can't go on without you.
I can't.
Without you, I can't defeat Cyril.
Oh, Orestes.
Cyril has already won.
Thank you.
I do not need you.
Davus!
Brother! Where are you going?
We found her!
Come on, walk!
Move it, sinner!
Whore!
Witch!
Pagan sinner!
Move! Come on!
Witch!
Strip her naked!
Get up.
That's it. So that God can behold you in all your filth, whore.
The way you [incomprehensible] the prefect's whore.
Heathen!
Whore.
Look,
she's not reacting.
She will scream all right when we skin her alive.
How many of you have knives? - None.
Don't stain your hands with impure blood.
Let's stone her!
Let's stone this witch! - Get some stones.
- Quickly! The ones we throw at Orestes.
they are still here.
I'll stay with her.
She fainted.
The body of Hypatia was mutilated and the remains were dragged through
the streets and burned in a fire.
Orestes was outlawed forever and Cyril took control of the power in Alexandria.
Later, Cyril was declared a Saint and Doctor of the Church.
Although not any of Hypatia works remains,
it is known that she was an exceptional astronomer,
well-known for the mathematical study of conical curves.
1200 years later,
in the 17th century, astronomer Johannes Kepler...
described that one of those curves,
the ellipse, governs the movement of the planets.
Subtitles thoroughly corrected and revised by: bifutake