Library of Alexandria

The Library of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt, was one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. It was part of a larger research institution called the Mouseion, dedicated to the Muses, the nine goddesses of the arts. The library gathered many papyrus scrolls because the kings who ruled there worked hard to collect texts from many places. At its height, it may have held anywhere from 40,000 to 400,000 scrolls.

Many important scholars worked at the Library, helping to shape our understanding of the world. They included people who studied the writings of Homer, calculated the circumference of the earth, and even invented the first recorded steam engine. The library made Alexandria a center for learning and knowledge.

Over time, the Library faced many challenges. Scholars left the city, and parts of the collection were damaged by accident. As support for the library faded, its influence slowly declined. By the third century CE, the Library as it was known in its early days had largely disappeared.

Historical background

The Library of Alexandria was not the first library ever. Long before it, there were libraries in places like Greece and the ancient Near East. One of the earliest known archives of written materials was found in the ancient city of Uruk around 3400 BC. Over time, many kingdoms collected books and kept big libraries. Famous examples include the Library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh and a large library in Babylon.

After Alexander the Great died in 323 BC, his empire was split among his officers. One group, the Ptolemaic dynasty, ruled Egypt and made Alexandria their capital. These rulers wanted to promote learning and culture. They believed that having a big library would make their city famous and help them govern better. Because Egypt had lots of papyrus plant, they had plenty of material to write on. The Library of Alexandria stood out because the Ptolemies wanted it to hold all knowledge, which was a very big and ambitious goal.

Under Ptolemaic patronage

Founding

The Library of Alexandria was one of the largest and most important libraries of the ancient world. It started during the rule of Ptolemy I Soter and grew bigger under his son Ptolemy II Philadelphus. Demetrius of Phalerum, a student of Aristotle, may have helped start the library. The library was part of the Mouseion, a place for learning and arts.

Early expansion and organization

The rulers wanted the Library to hold all knowledge. They sent people to buy books from many places, preferring older copies. Scholars, poets, and researchers lived at the Mouseion, where they had salaries, food, and homes. They taught students and worked on research.

Early scholarship

The Library did not follow any one school of thought, so scholars had freedom to study. The first head librarian, Zenodotus of Ephesus, worked on organizing the Homeric poems. Callimachus made a big list of all the authors and their works.

Later scholarship and expansion

Eratosthenes of Cyrene, the third head librarian, was known for his work in geography. He calculated the Earth's circumference. Other scholars studied medicine and anatomy, though human dissection was controversial.

Peak of literary criticism

Aristophanes of Byzantium became the fourth head librarian. He improved how poems were written and studied, introducing new ways to mark texts. His work helped make the Library a center for learning and literary study.

Decline

After Ptolemy VIII's expulsions

When Ptolemy VIII Physcon sent away scholars from Alexandria, it changed the history of learning in the ancient world. These scholars continued their work elsewhere, which led to a decline in the Library's importance. Scholars spread out across the Mediterranean, taking their knowledge with them. For example, Dionysius Thrax, a student of Aristarchus, started a school on the island of Rhodes and wrote the first book on Greek grammar. Another student, Apollodorus of Athens, taught in Pergamum, Alexandria's main rival at the time.

During this time, the Ptolemaic rulers in Egypt faced many problems, and they did not pay as much attention to the Library. The position of head librarian was given to political supporters rather than scholars, and the Library's prestige faded.

Burning by Julius Caesar

In 48 BC, during a war, Julius Caesar's soldiers set fire to some ships in Alexandria's port. This fire spread and damaged parts of the city, including the area near the Library. Some writers later said that 40,000 scrolls were destroyed, but others suggest the fire mainly affected storage areas near the docks rather than the Library itself. Evidence shows the Library likely survived the fire, though its importance continued to decrease.

Roman period and destruction

During the Roman period, the Library's importance continued to fade. The Roman rulers did not value it as much, and its scholars became less famous. By the third century AD, mentions of the Library and its research center, the Mouseion, disappeared. In 272 AD, during a battle, the part of Alexandria where the Library was located was destroyed. Later, in 642 AD, when Arab forces captured Alexandria, stories say the Library was destroyed by order of a leader, but historians think these stories may have been made up much later for political reasons.

Successors to the Mouseion

The Serapeum was known as the "Daughter Library" of Alexandria and was one of the largest collections of books in the city during the late fourth century AD. It was a major site for pagans and had classrooms where philosophers taught. It attracted followers of certain philosophical ideas and focused on traditional religious practices.

Later, a school led by Theon of Alexandria and his daughter Hypatia continued teaching and learning. Hypatia was well-respected and had much influence in Alexandria. However, she faced political troubles and was unfortunately killed in 415 AD. Even after her death, teaching and learning continued in Alexandria for many years.

Collection

The size of the Library of Alexandria's collection is hard to know for sure. The library used special paper called papyrus to make scrolls. Even after a new kind of book called a codex came along around 300 BC, the library still used papyrus and never switched to a tougher material called parchment.

One piece of writing could take up many scrolls, and organizing these scrolls into "books" was an important job. King Ptolemy II Philadelphus aimed for the library to have 500,000 scrolls. We don’t know exactly how many scrolls the library had, but at its peak, it might have held close to half a million. Some guesses go as high as 900,000 scrolls, while others suggest as few as 40,000 — still a huge amount!

The library collected new works in many subjects like math, science, and astronomy. Scholars there carefully compared different versions of the same text to make sure they were accurate, creating trusted copies for others around the world.

Legacy

In antiquity

The Library of Alexandria was one of the largest and most important libraries of the ancient world. By the end of the Hellenistic Period, many cities in the Eastern Mediterranean and even smaller towns had their own public libraries. During the Roman Period, the number of libraries grew even more. By the fourth century AD, Rome alone had at least two dozen public libraries.

As the Library of Alexandria declined, other cities became centers of learning. Many of the materials from the Library of Alexandria may have survived through places like the Imperial Library of Constantinople, the Academy of Gondishapur, and the House of Wisdom. These materials were later preserved during events like the Reconquista, which helped create European universities and gather scattered ancient texts together again.

When the Roman Empire became Christian, new libraries were created that followed the example of the great libraries of the past. These libraries, such as the Theological Library of Caesarea Maritima and the Library of Jerusalem, held both Christian and older pagan writings. Christian scholars used the same careful study methods that scholars at the Library of Alexandria used for Greek classics, though they focused more on Christian scriptures.

The saving of ancient texts depended on people copying and re-copying them. First, professional scribes in the Roman period did this work. Later, Muslim scholars helped preserve and translate these texts into Arabic during what is called the Islamic Golden Age. These translations were then turned into Latin and brought back to Europe. Monks during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance also copied these texts, making them available to scholars.

Modern library: Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Main article: Bibliotheca Alexandrina

The idea to rebuild the ancient Library of Alexandria in modern times was first suggested in 1974. In 1986, Egypt asked UNESCO to study if this project could work. With help from UNESCO and the UNDP, an international competition was held in 1989 to design the new library. The Norwegian firm Snøhetta won, and building began. Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak supported the project strongly. The new library, called the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, was finished in 2002. It serves as a modern library and cultural center, honoring the original Library of Alexandria. It also includes the International School of Information Science to train library professionals from Egypt and the Middle East.