Review of Agora (2009) by Alexandro O — 04 Jan 2011

Agora, the story of Hypathia of Alexandra. I would be lying if I did not admit that Hypathia is someone I highly admire. A Woman at the end of the Late Classical or as some may say late Hellenistic age. She was one of the last breaths of the old world. She was a Scientist, philosopher, freethinker, pagan, secularist and most damning of all a woman.

The early Christian religion which had been radicalized in much of the Roman world by those who were bitter and resentful of Pagan persecution and intolerance in parts of the Roman empire turned around and acted the same way if not worse.

The death of this woman many symbolize as Europe's decent into darkness, an age where radical, fanatical beliefs and superstitions ruled men, where there was only a few books of scripture which were translated in ways to abuse intellectuals, the poor and women in general, not to mention those who do not believe in Christianity.

Amazing the movie could have been a lot more graphic as history again somehow out dramatizes the movie. Though the Catholic Church has fought against this movie Secular and thoughtful Catholics have fought back watching it. Though Hypathia's death is tamed down in the movie it still shows the ending of an age in a brutal unthinking fanatical rage.

Like the Taliban who today pervert a religion as fanatics, these early Christians took a mostly tolerant religion and turned it upside down on itself. I recommended this movie to everyone. Perhaps the Zealots and fanatics who watch this movie will have a pause, if they know anything about history at all they may see what the human race lost in over a thousand years of the dark ages and hopefully we will never repeat it again.