The Great Library of Alexandria was a massive, ancient library. It was part of a research institute known as the “Museum” in Alexandria, Egypt. The library is shrouded in mystery, from its founding to its destruction and everything in between. It was the single greatest accumulation of human knowledge in history, likely established under Ptolemy II Philadelphus in the third century BCE. At the time, written material came mostly in the form of papyrus scrolls because paper—as we know it—was not invented for another four centuries!
The exact number of materials housed in the library is unknown, but sources report there were anywhere from 40,000 to 400,000 papyrus scrolls at the height of the library’s popularity. The library was so large, a daughter branch opened in the Temple of Serapis nearby.
As the library grew, so did Alexandria’s reputation as a city of academics and scholars. Many important works came from the scholars at the library. Callimachus created the first library catalog ever; Eratosthenes of Cyrene calculated the circumference of the Earth with astounding accuracy; and many Greek and Roman works and texts used by scholars today were produced at Alexandria.
Despite all this, the library is most famous (or rather infamous) for its burning. Throughout its near 1,000-year history, the library was burned multiple times.
According to Plutarch, the first person to blame is Julius Caesar. On his pursuit of Pompey into Egypt in 48 BCE, Caesar was cut off by a large fleet of Egyptian boats in the harbor of Alexandria. He ordered the boats to be burned. The fleet was destroyed, but the flames spread to the city and the library. It’s not known how much of the library was destroyed.
When Caesar documented this attack in his account of the civil war, he left out the destruction of the library; however, this is not uncommon of Caesar, who often left out damaging facts about himself in his writing. However, despite this loss, the library lived on. According to reports, Mark Antony gave Cleopatra 200,000 scrolls for the library well after Caesar’s attack.
The second, more famous, burning of the library came at the hands of Theophilus who was Patriarch of Alexandria from 385 to 412 CE. He turned the Temple of Serapis into a Christian church. It is likely that the collection was destroyed by the Christians who moved in. Some sources say nearly 10 percent of the library’s collection was housed in the Temple of Serapis. In the following years, the Christian attack against the library escalated, and the last great pagan philosopher and librarian, Hypatia, was tortured and killed.
The final blow came in 640 CE when Alexandria came under Muslim rule. The Muslim ruler, Caliph Omar, asserted that the library’s contents would “either contradict the Koran, in which case they are heresy, or they will agree with it, so they are superfluous.” The contents of the library were then supposedly used as tinder for the city’s bathhouses. Even then, it is said that it took six months for all the materials to burn.
Practically nothing of the library remains today. Modern Alexandria is a bustling metropolis and has maintained consistent occupation over the last 2,000 years. Archaeologists and historians still dispute the library’s demise and who is truly to blame for the destruction of such a wealth of knowledge. However, there is no dispute that the destruction of the Library of Alexandria significantly damaged our understanding of ancient civilizations.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Library of Alexandria, check out these resources:
Jordan N.
Colbern Road Library Center
FAQs
Seneca (the first to mention a number) says that 40,000 libri were destroyed. Gellius and Ammianus, using a different source than Livy, record the loss of 700,000 volumina.
Is there anything left from the Library of Alexandria? ›
Practically nothing of the library remains today. Modern Alexandria is a bustling metropolis and has maintained consistent occupation over the last 2,000 years. Archaeologists and historians still dispute the library's demise and who is truly to blame for the destruction of such a wealth of knowledge.
Did any books from the Library of Alexandria survive? ›
Since we do not have a surviving catalogue of the contents of the library, we cannot say. It is however very likely that the library contained a great deal of classical Greek literature that we know to be lost, like most of the body of Greek tragedy and Greek comedy. There was most likely some lost Aristotle as well.
What do historians know about the Library of Alexandria? ›
The Library, or part of its collection, was accidentally burned by Julius Caesar during his civil war in 48 BC, but it is unclear how much was actually destroyed and it seems to have either survived or been rebuilt shortly thereafter.
Did the burning of the Library of Alexandria really set humanity back? ›
This number is often disputed, but it goes to show the magnitude of this fire. Some people like to claim that the Burining of Alexandria set humanity back 1,000 years. With that much knowledge left to ash and the winds it's not a far stretch to say that humanity was set back, but 1,000 years is a long time.
What would have happened if the Library of Alexandria wasn't destroyed? ›
It is thought that if it was not destroyed the human being might have been more advanced in science, technology, literature, arts, and culture. The Library of Alexandria was not only the largest learning center of its time but the first of its kind. The Great Library of Alexandria was burnt by Julius Caesar‟s fire.
Are there any surviving documents from the Library of Alexandria? ›
No, no known scrolls survive from the Library of Alexandria, although it possible that some are in existence. The library's collection, its physical locations, and its associated institutions were deliberately damaged multiple times, meaning that the scrolls would have been burned, pillaged, or disseminated over time.
What is the greatest library in history? ›
Library of Alexandria, the most famous library of Classical antiquity. It formed part of the research institute at Alexandria in Egypt that is known as the Alexandrian Museum (Mouseion, “shrine of the Muses”).
Why did Julius Caesar burn down the Library of Alexandria? ›
Caesar was outnumbered and in enemy territory, which led him to order that the ships in the harbor be set on fire which spread and destroyed the Egyptian fleet. Unfortunately, it also burned down part of the city - the area where the great Library stood.
Where is the oldest library in the world? ›
Al-Qarawiyyin library in Fez, Morocco, is the world's oldest, continuously running library. It dates back to 859 AD. The library is part of the complex that includes Qarawiyyin Mosque and Qarawiyyin University. Over the last four years, the library has undergone a multimillion dollar restoration.
According to Dr. Jason L. Saunders, Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, San Diego, and a student of the history of libraries, the Queen of Egypt showed her ability at book collecting by reestablishing and refurbishing the celebrated library at Alexandria after it had been ravaged by fire.
How many times was the Library of Alexandria destroyed? ›
8) The ancient library of Alexandria was destroyed on two different occasions. The original library branch was located at the royal palace at Alexandria, near the harbor.
Was anything recovered from the Library of Alexandria? ›
The Library of Alexandria had a daughter library where many of the texts and scrolls survived. There are scholars that suspect that many of the texts had been taken out of the library and sent to capital cities like Constantinople. Sadly, scholars don't know for sure.
Is there proof of the Library of Alexandria? ›
There Is No Archaeological Evidence Left of The Great Library of Alexandria. Old Alexandria is buried deep under today's Alexandria. We don't even know with precision where the Museum was located. Not a single stone of the Library building has been found.
Was knowledge lost in the Library of Alexandria? ›
To prevent enemy ships from pursuing him, Caesar set the Alexandrian fleet on fire. This fire spread to parts of the city, and some ancient sources suggest that it reached the warehouses near the docks where books from the library were stored, leading to the loss of a significant number of scrolls.
Which book holds the record for being the most stolen? ›
Answer: The “Guinness Book of World Records” holds the record for being the book most often stolen from public libraries. (Thanks to Sam Harrod of Eureka for the fact.) Interestingly, reports one library employee in Bloomington, the Bible is right up there for being “stolen” as well.
What kind of knowledge was lost in the Library of Alexandria? ›
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.
What is the record for the longest overdue library book? ›
The Guinness world record for the most overdue library book is held by one returned to Sidney Sussex College. It was borrowed in 1668 and returned 288 years later. See below for details of the book with copies of the title page and letters describing the discovery of the book.
