She feel in love with the words and life of Crates, and would not pay attention to any of her suitors, their wealth, their high birth or their good looks.  But to her Crates was everything.  She used even to threaten her parents that she would kill herself, unless she were given in marriage to him.  Crates therefore was implored by her parents to dissuade the girl, and did all he could.  Finally, failing to persuade her, got up, took off his clothes right in front of her and said:  "This is your bridegroom, here are his possession; make your choice accordingly; for you will be no partner of mine, unless you share my way of life.

The girl chose and, adopting the same dress, went about with her husband and consorted with him in public and went out to dinners with him.  Accordingly she appeared at the banquet given by Lysimachus, and there put down Theodorus, known as the atheist, by means of the following argument:

Any action which would not be called wrong if done by Theodorus, would not be called wrong if done by Hipparchia.  Now Theodorus does no wrong when he strikes himself.  Therefore neither does Hipparchia do wrong when she strikes Theodorus.

He had no reply to this argument, but tried to strip her of her cloak.  But Hipparchia show no signs of alarm or of the kind of agitation natural to a woman. And when he said to her, "Is this she who left behind her...comb and loom?"  And she replied, "It is I, Theodorus.  But do you suppose that I have chosen incorrectly, if instead of wasting further time upon the loom I spent it in education?"  

These tales and countless others are told of the female philosopher.