Difference between revisions of "Library of Alexandria"
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| − | [[Image:Library Alexandria.jpg|thumb|right|A reconstruction of the | + | [[Image:Library Alexandria.jpg|thumb|right|A reconstruction of the library, based on scholarly evidence.]] |
| − | ''' | + | The '''Library of Alexandria''' in [[Egypt]] was the largest [[library]] in the ancient world. It was founded at the beginning of the 3rd century BC during the reign of Ptolemy II of [[Egypt]]. It supported the Musaeum, a temple to the Muses and a university-level center of research and learning. |
| − | The | + | The library was conceived largely as an attempt to bring together in [[Alexandria]] the whole of the earlier [[Greek]] science, art, and literature. At one point the library held close to 500,000 volumes. |
Plutarch describes how the library burned down in 48 BC when [[Julius Caesar]] set fire to his own ships in the harbor of Alexandria: | Plutarch describes how the library burned down in 48 BC when [[Julius Caesar]] set fire to his own ships in the harbor of Alexandria: | ||
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</blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||
| − | This account was written around AD 100 | + | This account was written around AD 100. As Plutarch visited Alexandria, he would have noticed if the institution still existed in his time. Strabo visited Alexandria in 20 BC and wrote a detailed description of the palace and the the Museum, but he does not mention the library at all.<ref>[http://www.bede.org.uk/library.htm The Mysterious Fate of the Great Library of Alexandria]", ''Bede's Library''</ref> |
| − | Plutarch transcribes a speech by a supporter of Augustus which includes this accusation: " | + | Plutarch transcribes a speech by a supporter of Augustus which includes this accusation against Anthony: "He had bestowed |
| − | upon [Cleopatra] the libraries from Pergamum, in which there were 200,000 volumes." Some historians have interpreted this line to suggest that Cleopatra rebuilt the library using these volumes as the basis of a new collection. | + | upon [Cleopatra] the libraries from Pergamum, in which there were 200,000 volumes." Some historians have interpreted this line to suggest that Cleopatra rebuilt the library using these volumes as the basis of a new collection. But the tone of the speech is propagandistic and there is no suggestion that Plutarch concurs with any of the accusations it makes. Alexandria again become a center of learning under the Romans, with several major libraries including the Saraphim, located in another part of the city. [[Edward Gibbon]] wrote that the Library of Alexandria was destroyed by Christian rioters in AD 391. This claim has been repeated in numerous accounts by anti-Christian writers, but it is not supported by any source older than Gibbon. |
| − | The loss of the | + | The loss of the library, which contained the original (and sometimes ''only'') copies of most of the ancient world's greatest works of literature, resulted in the decimation of ancient literature, and accounts for the modern paucity of ancient materials. Scholars estimate that historians now have only 1/10th of 1 percent of the ancient world's original source material to rely upon, as an almost exclusive result of the library's destruction. As an example, among the material lost in the library was a first-hand account of the life of [[Alexander the Great]], written by his general and boyhood friend, [[Ptolemy]]. Historians know of the book's existence by a citation to it in secondary sources. |
==Reference== | ==Reference== | ||
Revision as of 10:49, March 16, 2014
The Library of Alexandria in Egypt was the largest library in the ancient world. It was founded at the beginning of the 3rd century BC during the reign of Ptolemy II of Egypt. It supported the Musaeum, a temple to the Muses and a university-level center of research and learning.
The library was conceived largely as an attempt to bring together in Alexandria the whole of the earlier Greek science, art, and literature. At one point the library held close to 500,000 volumes.
Plutarch describes how the library burned down in 48 BC when Julius Caesar set fire to his own ships in the harbor of Alexandria:
when the enemy endeavored to cut off his communication by sea, he was forced to divert that danger by setting fire to his own ships, which, after burning the docks, thence spread on and destroyed the great library.[1]
This account was written around AD 100. As Plutarch visited Alexandria, he would have noticed if the institution still existed in his time. Strabo visited Alexandria in 20 BC and wrote a detailed description of the palace and the the Museum, but he does not mention the library at all.[2]
Plutarch transcribes a speech by a supporter of Augustus which includes this accusation against Anthony: "He had bestowed upon [Cleopatra] the libraries from Pergamum, in which there were 200,000 volumes." Some historians have interpreted this line to suggest that Cleopatra rebuilt the library using these volumes as the basis of a new collection. But the tone of the speech is propagandistic and there is no suggestion that Plutarch concurs with any of the accusations it makes. Alexandria again become a center of learning under the Romans, with several major libraries including the Saraphim, located in another part of the city. Edward Gibbon wrote that the Library of Alexandria was destroyed by Christian rioters in AD 391. This claim has been repeated in numerous accounts by anti-Christian writers, but it is not supported by any source older than Gibbon.
The loss of the library, which contained the original (and sometimes only) copies of most of the ancient world's greatest works of literature, resulted in the decimation of ancient literature, and accounts for the modern paucity of ancient materials. Scholars estimate that historians now have only 1/10th of 1 percent of the ancient world's original source material to rely upon, as an almost exclusive result of the library's destruction. As an example, among the material lost in the library was a first-hand account of the life of Alexander the Great, written by his general and boyhood friend, Ptolemy. Historians know of the book's existence by a citation to it in secondary sources.
Reference
- ↑ Plutarch, Life of Caesar, 49.6.
- ↑ The Mysterious Fate of the Great Library of Alexandria", Bede's Library