"BY THE END OF THE 4TH CENTURY A.D.," "THE ROMAN EMPIRE WAS ON THE VERGE OF COLLAPSE." "YET ALEXANDRIA, IN THE PROVINCE OF EGYPT," "STILL RETAINED MUCH OF ITS SPLENDOR." "IT BOASTED ONE OF THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD," "THE LEGENDARY LIGHTHOUSE, AS WELL AS THE GREATEST LIBRARY ON EARTH." "THE LIBRARY WAS NOT ONLY A CULTURAL SYMBOL, BUT ALSO A RELIGIOUS ONE," "A PLACE WHERE THE PAGANS WORSHIPPED THEIR ANCESTRAL GODS." "THE CITY'S LONG-ESTABLISHED PAGAN CULT" "WAS NOW CHALLENGED BY THE THE JEWISH FAITH" "AND A RAPIDLY SPREADING RELIGION UNTIL RECENTLY BANNED:" "CHRISTIANITY." "LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA, 391 A.D." "AFTER THE STORMING OF THE LIBRARY," "MANY PAGANS CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY" "AND ALEXANDRIA ENJOYED A TIME OF PEACE." "HYPATIA CONTINUED HER TEACHING AND RESEARCH" "WHILE HER FORMER DISCIPLES OCCUPIED IMPORTANT POSTS" "AMONG THE SOCIAL ELITE." "THE ROMAN EMPIRE FINALLY SPLIT INTO TWO PARTS." "MANY CHRISTIANS SAW THIS AS A SIGN OF THE END OF THE WORLD" "AND DECIDED TO PREPARE THEMSELVES BY LIVING HOLIER LIVES." "THE ORDER OF MONKS KNOWN AS THE "PARABALANI"" "TOOK CHARGE OF PATROLLING THE STREETS" "TO SAFEGUARD CHRISTIAN MORALITY NOW ONLY COMPLICATED BY THE PRESENCE OF THE JEWS." "THE LIBRARY, SOME YEARS LATER." "HYPATIA'S MUTILATED BODY WAS DRAGGED THROUGH THE STREETS" "AND BURNED ON A PYRE." "ORESTES DISAPPEARED, NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN." "CYRIL SEIZED POWER OF ALEXANDRIA." "MUCH LATER, CYRIL WAS DECLARED A SAINT AND A DOCTOR BY THE CHURCH." "ALTHOUGH NONE OF HYPATIA'S WORKS SURVIVED," "IT IS KNOWN THAT SHE WAS AN OUTSTANDING ASTRONOMER" "AND RENOWNED FOR HER MATHEMATICAL STUDIES ON CONIC SECTIONS." "1200 YEARS LATER, IN THE 17TH CENTURY," "THE ASTRONOMER JOHANNES KEPLER DISCOVERED THAT ONE OF THESE CURVES," "THE ELLIPSE, GOVERNED THE MOTION OF THE PLANETS."