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There are few records about the scientist Athyrta, or Aganice. It is believed that the princess lived around 1900 B.C. in Ancient Egypt, and that she was the sister or daughter of King Sesostris I or Sesostre of the Twelfth Dynasty. This pharaoh held power for 45 years, aiming at a military expansion of his kingdom, being the first pharaoh to leave the capital and go to Kush in Nibia; however, his plan failed and he could not conquer such a land. Even with this desire for territorial expansion, Sesostris' rule was very peaceful and calm, which left much room for music and art to develop, becoming important in Egyptian and world history.
It is believed that at that time there were hospital schools where women could learn medicine, but Athyrta went elsewhere. She was fascinated by the stars and studied them, becoming a very important astronomer at the time. One of the first roles of astronomy was to understand how time worked, but Athyrta studied Babylonian astrology*, and it was through these studies that she tried to predict people's futures, based on the position of the stars and developing a thought of natural philosophy and astrology.
*The first type of astrology, based on predicting events that could influence collective life, embodying the welfare of the kingdom. Babylonian astrology was the first to describe the 12 signs of the zodiac.
Sources:
BERNARDI, Gabriella. Aganice (XX bc). (2016).10.1007/978-3-319-26127-0_2. Disponível em: <https://www.researchgate.net/>.
CÉSAR AUGUSTO. Ciência Astral Babilônica no Mundo Helenístico. Disponível em: <https://espacoastrologico.com.br/>.
ALIC, Margaret. Hypatia's Heritage: A history of women in science from antiquity through the nineteenth century. 1º Edição. Boston, Massachussets: Women's Press Limited, 1986.
REBIÈRE, A. Les femmes dans la science: notes recueillies. 2º Edição. Paris: LIBRAIRIE NONI & Cie, 1897.
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