Changes

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

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 Museum, but he does not mention the library.<ref>[http://www.bede.org.uk/library.htm The Mysterious Fate of the Great Library of Alexandria]", ''Bede's Library''</ref> This strongly suggests that the library no longer existed at the time of Strabo's visit, as least not as a separate building.

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 Musaeum, but he does not mention the library.<ref>[http://www.bede.org.uk/library.htm The Mysterious Fate of the Great Library of Alexandria]", ''Bede's Library''</ref> This strongly suggests that the library no longer existed at the time of Strabo's visit, as least not as a separate building.

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, there is no suggestion that Plutarch concurs with any of the accusations it makes, and the speech does not say what library the Pergamum books were taken to.  

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, there is no suggestion that Plutarch concurs with any of the accusations it makes, and it does not say what library the Pergamum books were taken to.  

Alexandria again become a center of learning under the Romans. It had several major libraries, including the Saraphim. The Musaeum was burned down by Aurelian in 272, along with any library holdings it might have contained. In the fourth century, the books in Alexandria's libraries were removed. (They may have been taken to Constantinople). As a pagan temple, the Saraphim was destroyed by Bishop Theophilus in AD 391. Based on this incident, [[Edward Gibbon]] blamed Christians for the destruction of the library.

Alexandria again become a center of learning under the Romans. It had several major libraries, including the Saraphim. The Musaeum was burned down by Aurelian in 272, along with any library holdings it might have contained. In the fourth century, the books in Alexandria's libraries were removed. (They may have been taken to Constantinople). As a pagan temple, the Saraphim was destroyed by Bishop Theophilus in AD 391. Based on this incident, [[Edward Gibbon]] blamed Christians for the destruction of the library.