Located in the western edge of the Nile River delta, the Great Library of Alexandria was
the largest library of the ancient world. Housing about 400,000 scrolls in its heyday,
with some estimates even going up to 700,000, the size of the library was
unprecedented for its time, surpassing even the collection of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal.
The Great Library also had lecture halls, reading rooms, meeting rooms,
shared dining room, and gardens, making it the first model of modern universities and schools.
It also welcomed many distinguished figures in the ancient world. From the mathematician Eratosthenes
of Cyrene to author Apollonius of Rhodes, the Library was a hub of knowledge, learning,
and curiosity. It was the center of humanity’s pursuit of innovation and enlightenment.
So, why was a magnificent place such as the Great Library of Alexandria went
down as one of the worst disasters in the history of knowledge and culture? Why did
many historians today mourn for its loss?
Because, unfortunately, it was burned down, and along with it, was the destruction of thousands
upon thousands of papyrus scrolls which contained innumerable knowledge from the ancient world.
But, who would have the gall to burn down such an important place? Why
did the do so? And most importantly, what knowledge was lost--knowledge,
that could have pushed humanity’s progress as far as a thousand years into the future?
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Built around 285 to 246 BC, the Library of Alexandria was actually made up of two libraries:
The first library was part of a larger institution called the Mouseion in Alexandria,
Egypt. Dedicated to the Nine Muses of Greek Mythology, the Mouseion was intended to be
the hub of poetry of music, until it evolved into the center of learning, much like Plato’s Academy
and Aristotle’s Lyceum back in Athens. The Mouseion was located closer to the
banks of the Nile and for centuries has served as the “holy land” of scholars in the ancient times.
On the other hand, the Serapeum of Alexandria, where the second part was located, was a temple
dedicated to the god Serapis, located further inland. The Serapeum also housed a smaller
library, hence it was dubbed as the “daughter library” of the larger Library of Alexandria.
At the time, or even before then, it wasn’t unusual for states, kingdoms,
and empires to establish libraries and archives, in temples, government buildings,
and noble residences. Some kingdoms and states even had open public libraries,
where scholars were welcome to freely study and even discuss ideas.
The first important library to have ever existed was established as early as 7th
century BCE by the King Ashurbanipal in Nineveh, who collected around 30,000 clay tablets. We are
not going to dwell on it as we have previously presented it to you in detail in 2 parts.
Around the same time as the Great Library of Alexandria,
there was also another huge library of the Attalid Dynasty,
elsewhere in present-day Turkey. This temple was dedicated to the goddess of wisdom herself,
Athena, called the Library of Pergamum. It was said to have contained around 200,000 scrolls.
But while the library at Alexandria wasn’t the first,
it was arguably the largest in the ancient world and had been for centuries.
And while these other libraries were primarily concerned with preserving their own history,
culture, and knowledge, the Great Library of Alexandria
aimed to collect knowledge all throughout the world, regardless of their nature and origin.
Some attributed it to Alexander but the most prevailing theory was that it was Demetrius
of Phaleron, an Athenian statesman, philosopher, and orator that suggested the idea to Ptolemy I.
After escaping from Athens, Demetrius became Ptolemy I’s adviser in Alexandria. Planning might
have started during the reign of Ptolemy I, but the building itself didn’t began until his son,
Ptolemy II Philadelphus took over. Decades later, Serapeum was built in the time of Ptolemy III.
The first several Ptolemaic kings were highly supportive of the library. Not
only they funded and protected the Great Library,
but they also invited scholars including foreigners to study in the institution.
The scholars even received a large sum of money, free lodging, and food,
since they technically would be under the employ of the king. With their basic
needs provided, they had all the time in the world to dedicate themselves to research.
The Library hosted hundreds of scholars in its heyday.
Some of its most famous residents were Eratosthenes, the mathematician
who calculated the circumference of the Earth with close accuracy; Aristarchus and Zenodotus
who worked on the texts of Homer; epic poet Apollonius of Rhodes who composed Argonautica;
Aristophanes of Byzantium who devised the Greek diacritics; Hero of Alexandria
who invented the first steam engine; and Callimachus who created Pinakes,
one of the first library catalog systems. Scholars studied every discipline known to the ancients
that time, from philosophy, to literature, to mathematics, to technology, and even medicine.
But, how did the library amass a massive collection in the first place?
The answer lies with the aggressive collection tactics employed by the authorities.
According to stories, ships that docked in Alexandria were required
to hand over any scrolls in their possession.
The scholars would then take it, copy it word for word, and then--get
this--return the copy back to the owner. The original would then be kept by the library.
The library did indeed house a great number of scrolls--not just from Greece, Egypt,
and Rome, but also from beyond. It was said that it even had Chaldean and Hebrew scrolls,
including one scroll about the history of Babylonia,
the Septuagint, and the Pentateuch. It even had texts about Zoroastrianism and Buddhism!
However, sometime after the 7th century,
the Great Library of Alexandria seemed to have completely vanished in the historical records.
That's because it no longer existed.
The Three Suspects
Throughout history, there had been many theories as to the
fate of the Great Library, but it all boils down to three suspects.
Among the list of potential suspects, Julius Caesar was on the top. Mainly because,
there were many witnesses that he did cause it.
In 48 BCE, he had an affair with Cleopatra. We have told you about it in detail in our
video about Cleopatra. Offering support to the queen in her feud with her brother Ptolemy XIII,
Julius Caesar sailed down to Alexandria with his army. However, upon arriving and realizing
that Ptolemy XIII’s forces were greater in numbers, Julius Caesar decided that his only
chance to turn the tables was to set fire on the enemy fleet in the harbor of Alexandria.
That gave Caesar the upper hand but it also resulted into widespread
destruction. And the biggest collateral damage? Was the Library of Alexandria.
According to historical reports, the fire destroyed a significant portion of the library.
Caesar was silent about the matter, but later historians claimed he regretted its destruction.
Did Julius Caesar destroy the Library of Alexandria? In part, yes.
While he did burn down parts of the library, records show that it still
existed for centuries after that. However, the damages caused by the
siege was big enough that it might have contributed to the decline of the library.
Fast forward to 391 CE. The Roman Empire embraced Christianity as its main and only religion.
Emperor Theodosius I ordered the destruction of all traces of paganism in the empire,
including temples in Alexandria. Unfortunately,
this rather skewed viewpoint didn’t exempt the library of Alexandria.
Theopilus, the Bishop of Alexandria at that time, led a mob to attack Serapeum, destroying countless
valuable manuscripts along the way and plundering what was left of the once great library.
At this time, due to numerous sieges and attacks suffered by Alexandria,
the library at the Mouseion might have no longer existed. What was left of the
manuscripts might have also been transferred to its daughter library, the Serapeum.
Tragically, Serapeum was ALSO razed to the ground
and in its place a church was built, ordered by Theopilus.
Did Bishop Theopilus of Alexandria destroy the Library of Alexandria? He
led the attack on Serapeum, but during his time,
the main library at the Mousein might not have already existed as it once was.
The third possible culprit was Arab general Amr ibn al-ʿĀṣ,
Although little was known about this story. According to accounts written in
the 13th century including Arab historian Ibn al-Qifṭī, Caliph Omar ordered Amr ibn
al-ʿĀṣ in 642 AD to burn down the scrolls in Alexandria, or what remained of them.
Then, according to Bar-Hebraeus, Omar reportedly told Yaḥyā al-Naḥwī:
"If those books are in agreement with the Quran,
we have no need of them; and if these are opposed to the Quran, destroy them."
As such, if the Great Library had existed until that time,
the Muslim invasion in 7th century AD would have completely erased it on the face of the Earth.
But did Amr ibn al-ʿĀṣ really destroy the Library of Alexandria? Most likely, no.
There is no real record of the event mentioned, apart from later claims by
Arab historians of the late Middle Ages, but these accounts may well have been fabrication.
between 11th to 12th centuries, the Crusades was at its height.
It’s possible that influenced by the conflict between Christian and Muslim
forces, that historians made these claims to put the opposing side in the negative light.
Finally, the library might have not also existed at this time based on historical
records written during and after this time period. Even if the Muslim forces invaded
Alexandria in the 7th century, there would be no great library to burn down.
So, who destroyed the Library of Alexandria? The answer was way more complicated.
Before Julius Caesar rampaged into the city in 48 BC, the Library was already in a steady decline.
It started with Ptolemy VIII’s order to purge intellectuals from Alexandria
during 145 BC. Following this, Aristarchus of Samothrace resigned and fled to Cyprus.
Other scholars followed suit, including Apollodorus of Athens and Dionysius Thrax.
The scholars continued teaching in other cities, particularly Athens.
Religious upheaval, civil wars, and invasions characterized the succeeding centuries. Over time,
the Library of Alexandria was destroyed. Caesar may have lit the long fuse of
its gradual destruction, but many factors contributed to its death.
Without exaggeration, the loss of countless tomes of knowledge in that Great Library
was the greatest intellectual tragedy in the ancient history. Had it not been destroyed,
we might have now progressed a thousand years into the future.
Had the scholars been allowed to work on innovation to advance humanity’s
progress for centuries after its destruction, imagine what we might have been enjoying now.
Public transport to Mars might have been available. We might have possibly cured
cancer. We might have invented a way to harness the weather. Or who knows,
we might have entered a Type I civilization, or better yet, Type II.
In the 1970s, there had been ideas of reviving the old library. Even if it was lost to time,
the goal was more or less the same: to become the hub of learning, knowledge, and wisdom.
Then, in October 16, 2002, it was officially inaugurated. Named after its predecessor,
the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is located in the same city, now in modern-day Egypt.
Of how much was lost when the Library of Alexandria was burned down,
nobody could tell. We could only hope that the most important manuscripts were copied
and distributed in other cities, which was actually very likely. Unfortunately,
only the sands of time knows what was lost that we never knew about.
Instead, today we have such artefacts that are deliberately being covered
up by governments just so they don't overturn civilisational evolution. Such is the story of
Noah's Ark, the world's most precious artifact, kept secret and dusty in a safe in Bulgaria.
Just click the thumbnail on screen now, and we’ll see there in a second.