History of the LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA: Wikipedia of the ancient world. Ancient Egypt. History Calling

Описание: The history of the LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA is one of the great examples of the lost knowledge of the ancient world. It’s not just the Library’s contents which are gone however, even reliable details of the history of the Library itself are few and far between. In this week’s History Calling video, we try to separate fact from fiction and establish what we actually know about this famous fount of knowledge.

Founded by either King Ptolomy I Sotor, or his son, Ptolemy II Philadelphos in around 300 BC, the Library was designed to bring together all the known books at the time, making it the Wikipedia of the ancient world. Estimates of its holdings range from 40,000 books (or scrolls) to 700,000, but some modern historians have sounded a word of caution about these numbers, asking how many books could even have existed between the fourth and second centuries AD? Whatever the true number, the Library was certainly a huge and an impressive accomplishment by the standards of the day. It attracted a number of famous scholars to the city including Eratosthenes, famous for calculating the circumference of the world to within a few miles (so if you’re wondering, ‘Did the ancients think the world was flat?’ the answer is no, or at least some of them knew better). When and how exactly the story of the Library of Alexandria came to an end is unclear. Some sources suggest it was destroyed by fire by Julius Caesar, however evidence of its continuing existence over 130 years later indicates otherwise. Others argue that it endured a gradual decline over many decades, even centuries, as its contents became worn and damaged through age and insect and rodent activity.

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