Hypatia lectured at the Museum on mathematics and philosophy, and philosophy, and her classes attracted many distinguished listeners. Among these was the philosopher Synesius of Cyrene, who was later to become bishop of Ptolemais. In the letters of Synesius that have come down to us , he always spoke of Hypatia in the highest terms, calling her “ mother ,sister ,reverend teacher,” and praising both her leaders regarded Hypatia's neo-Platonic philosophy as heretical. Her position was further threatened by her friendship with Orestes , Roman governor of