library of alexandria destruction

The Arab Story of the Destruction of the Ancient Library of Alexandria, Qassem Abdou Qassem 13. [134] In May 1986, Egypt requested the Executive Board of UNESCO to allow the international organization to conduct a feasibility study for the project. Between 270 and 275 AD, the city of Alexandria saw a Palmyrene invasion and an imperial counterattack that probably destroyed whatever remained of the Library, if it still existed at that time. WordPress Its membership appears to have ceased by the 260s AD. [119][120] Rumors spread accusing her of preventing Orestes from reconciling with Cyril[119][121] and, in March of 415 AD, she was murdered by a mob of Christians, led by a lector named Peter. [53], Eratosthenes was the first person to advance geography towards becoming a scientific discipline. [93], In 642 AD, Alexandria was captured by the Muslim army of 'Amr ibn al-'As. The real tragedy of course is not the uncertainty of knowing who to blame for the Library's destruction but that so much of ancient history, literature and learning was lost forever. For his own safety he had his men set fire to the Egyptian ships, but the fire got out of control and spread to the parts of the city nearest the shore, which … ", Jochum, Uwe. It is alleged that during Caesar's occupation of the city of Alexandria in 48 BCE, he found himself in the Royal Palace, hemmed in by the Egyptian fleet in the harbour. 405) a "man of the Mouseion". [18] Historian Roy MacLeod calls this "a programme of cultural imperialism". Instead, Many Islamic scholars believe that Umar's order burned the library, a powerful 7th century Caliph from Mecca, after the Muslim conquest of Alexandria 641 A.D. Others believe that Emperor Theodosius burned it in 390 A.D. [106] He enjoined his students to worship the old gods in traditional ways, and he may have even taught them theurgy. For instance, Mark Antony was supposed to have given Cleopatra over 200,000 scrolls for the Library long after Julius Caesar is accused of burning it. [61][62] All six of the other judges favored one competitor, but Aristophanes favored the one whom the audience had liked the least. Cloistered Bookworms in the Chicken-Coop of the Muses: The Ancient Library of Alexandria", "What happened to the Great Library at Alexandria? [92], By the second century AD, the Roman Empire grew less dependent on grain from Alexandria and the city's prominence declined further. So the cause of library of alexandria destroyed is angry mob. The daughter library of the Serapeum may have survived after the main Library's destruction. [80][81][57][8] This fire purportedly spread to the parts of the city nearest to the docks, causing considerable devastation. An English translation of the passage in Al-Qifti by Emily Cottrell of Leiden University is at the Roger Pearse blog here, Ed. But the story is also a tad more complex. [28] The exact layout of the library is not known, but ancient sources describe the Library of Alexandria as comprising a collection of scrolls, Greek columns, a peripatos walk, a room for shared dining, a reading room, meeting rooms, gardens, and lecture halls, creating a model for the modern university campus. The greatest mystery of the ancient world remains the identity of who set fire to the Great Library in Alexandria. capture of Egypt by the Muslims: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destruction_of_the_Library_of_Alexandria. In 640 AD the Moslems took the city of Alexandria. During the destruction a group of Christian workmen uncovered the remains of an old Mithraeum. "[51] Meanwhile, other scholars at the Library of Alexandria also displayed interest in scientific subjects. [81][78][8] The first-century AD Roman playwright and Stoic philosopher Seneca the Younger quotes Livy's Ab Urbe Condita Libri, which was written between 63 and 14 BC, as saying that the fire started by Caesar destroyed 40,000 scrolls from the Library of Alexandria. [44] The Pinakes was divided into multiple sections, each containing entries for writers of a particular genre of literature. "Is it true that we Greeks are really dead and only seem alive? According to popular description, an inscription above the shelves read: "The place of the cure of the soul. The Library of Alexandria was not the first library of its kind. [68] He wrote introductions to many plays, some of which have survived in partially rewritten forms. Erksine, Andrew (1995). Together, they tell the story of one of the wonders of the ancient world, and show how its influence as continued long after its destruction. Glossary, suggested reading, selected bibliography, index. [70] After the Battle of Raphia in 217 BC, Ptolemaic power became increasingly unstable. It seems the Serapeum had contained a library at some point and this was a ‘daughter library’ of the former Great Library. Such an omission proves little since he was not in the habit of including unflattering facts while writing his own history. Found insideShe has been a legend ever since. In this engrossing book, Maria Dzielska searches behind the legend to bring us the real story of Hypatia's life and death, and new insight into her colorful world. The Library dwindled during the Roman period, due to a lack of funding and support. The Worst-Case Scenario Almanac: History offers step-by-step illustrated scenarios on how to win a joust, survive in a dungeon, and overcome other plights of yesteryear, but the volume also features hundreds of pages of additionaland ... [9][44] The most basic division was between writers of poetry and prose, with each section divided into smaller subsections. [124][125] Neoplatonism and paganism both survived in Alexandria and throughout the eastern Mediterranean for centuries after her death. The unexpected murder in the little Cotswolds town of Colombury has everyone guessing. Before the answers are found more lives are threatened. Examines the many reasons and motivations for the destruction of books throughout history, citing specific acts from the smashing of ancient Sumerian tablets to the looting of libraries in post-war Iraq. Extremists of all stripes--through terrorism, war, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and other forms of mass violence--are also responsible for widespread cultural destruction, as she demonstrates in this new book. Library of Alexandria and Christian Destruction of Paganism [107] They gave some of the cult objects to Theophilus,[107] who had the cult objects paraded through the streets so they could be mocked and ridiculed. When Ptolemy died in 283 BCE his son Ptolemy II took over and continued the development of the Library of Alexandria as well as completed the Pharos Lighthouse. And in our fallen state we imagine that a dream is life? In fact, the Library of Alexandria proved to be one of the greatest institutions created in the ancient world because it influenced the minds of countless people in profound ways for centuries. This book aims at presenting a new discussion of primary sources by renowned scholars of the long disputed question of "What Happened to the Ancient Library of Alexandria"? [93] Archaeologists have identified lecture halls dating to around this time period, located near, but not on, the site of the Ptolemaic Mouseion, which may be the "Mouseion" to which these writers refer. As the same text often existed in several different versions, comparative textual criticism was crucial for ensuring their veracity. [48], The third head librarian, Eratosthenes of Cyrene (lived c. 280–c. The fact is that, with no less than five independent accounts detailing this event, the destruction of the Serapeum is one of the best attested events in the whole of ancient history. [93][77] If they did survive the attack, then whatever was left of them would have been destroyed during the emperor Diocletian's siege of Alexandria in 297. Orestes was said to be under the influence of Hypatia, a female philosopher and daughter of the "last member of the Library of Alexandria". The mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, and presumed habituée of the Library of Alexandria, was lynched by an angry early Christian mob on March 8, 415 A.D. This seems to be at the beginning of the movie, apparently setting the stage for the conflicts between science and religion that will end in Hypatia’s murder. [49] It is more likely that Apollonius's resignation was on account of Ptolemy III Euergetes's ascension to the throne in 246 BC. The library is shrouded in mystery, from its founding to its destruction and everything in between. As per the view of several authors, the Library was accidentally destroyed by Julius Caesar during the siege of Alexandria in 48 BC. Did Christians destroy the Library of Alexandria? Alexandria was founded in Egypt by Alexander the Great. (650) 723-2300. [39][41][42][43], The first recorded head librarian was Zenodotus of Ephesus (lived c. 325–c. Sorry Rachel. [105] It remained a fully functioning temple, and had classrooms for philosophers to teach in. 110 BC), went to Alexandria's greatest rival, Pergamum, where he taught and conducted research. [39] According to classical scholar Lionel Casson, the idea was that if the scholars were completely freed from all the burdens of everyday life they would be able to devote more time to research and intellectual pursuits. [4] These rulers, therefore, had a vested interest to collect and compile information from both the Greeks and from the far more ancient kingdoms of the Near East. [42][64][57] During this phase of the Library's history, literary criticism reached its peak[42][64] and came to dominate the Library's scholarly output. And Ammianus Marcellinus, who seems to have visited Alexandria before 391, describes the Serapeum and mentions that it had once housed a library, indicating that by the time of its destruction it no longer did so. It is also quite likely that even if the Museum was destroyed with the main library the outlying "daughter" library at the Temple of Serapis continued on. [9] One likely apocryphal story is told of a poet named Sotades who wrote an obscene epigram making fun of Ptolemy II for marrying his sister Arsinoe II. [126] The late fifth-century writers Zacharias Scholasticus and Aeneas of Gaza both speak of the "Mouseion" as occupying some kind of a physical space. [9] They were, however, subject to the authority of the king. [136] Completed in 2002, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina now functions as a modern library and cultural center, commemorating the original Library of Alexandria. What people who believe this fail to realize is that the Library of Alexandria was not the only library in the ancient world. [104] In the 370s and 380s, the Serapeum was still a major pilgrimage site for pagans. [3], Modern scholars agree that, while it is possible that Ptolemy I may have laid the groundwork for the Library, it probably did not come into being as a physical institution until the reign of Ptolemy II. [42][41][9] The Pinakes has not survived, but enough references to it and fragments of it have survived to allow scholars to reconstruct its basic structure. And the reality, that it completely disappeared and only exists in ancient texts. A thoroughly researched study on the history of both the Museum and the Alexandria Library, showing the important role they played in the transmission of Greco-roman civilization. Both comments and pings are currently closed. [77] Several of the later Ptolemies used the position of head librarian as a mere political plum to reward their most devoted supporters. [74], In 48 BC, during Caesar's Civil War, Julius Caesar was besieged at Alexandria. The contents of the Library of Congress Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives are in the public domain and are free to use and reuse. [43] Since the collection at the Library of Alexandria seems to have been organized in alphabetical order by the first letter of the author's name from very early, Casson concludes that it is highly probable that Zenodotus was the one who organized it in this way. Sources II. 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