Much of the contents of the Hanlin Yuan, one of the key centers of learning in Peking (now known as Beijing), was destroyed when the building was set on fire during the conflict. In 48 BC, Caesar was pursuing Pompey into Egypt when he was suddenly cut off by an Egyptian fleet at Alexandria. However, in 642 AD, when the city was captured by Muslims, they burned all the books not related to Islam that they found in public places. The library was so large it actually had another branch or "daughter" library at the Temple of Serapis. Alexandria was founded in Egypt by Alexander the Great. The first person blamed for the destruction of the Library is none other than Julius Caesar himself. The Musaeum was home to 1,000 scholars at one point in time. The so-called destruction of the Library of Alexandria is largely myth, and of modern origin. Later they’d donate their documents to the library so others could learn about their achievements. Moreover, the Ptolemies bought many ancient scrolls, including texts by Homer, Sapho, and other ancient writers. Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Theophilus was Patriarch of Alexandria from 385 to 412 AD. 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. Some were mere playthings or used for the production of heirs, while others rose to great power and influence. Alexandria had long been known for its violent and volatile politics. The Library Of Alexandria: Known Facts. Some people believe that the library once held documents describing the achievements of Imhotep, The Grand Vizier who created the step pyramid of Djoser. The Temple of Serapis was estimated to hold about ten percent of the overall Library of Alexandria's holdings. Although it should be noted that some count Hypatia herself as the last Head Librarian. The infamous destruction by fire of the Library of Alexandria, with the consequent loss of the most complete collection of ancient literature ever assembled, has been a point of heated debate for centuries. MMDE: Thousands. Perhaps one of the most interesting accounts of its destruction comes from the accounts of the Roman writers. 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The most famous library of classical antiquity, the Ancient Library of Alexandria formed part of the research institute known as the Alexandrian Museum, also known as the Mouseion, meaning “Shrine of the Muses”. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there exists countless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts that have yet to be discovered and explained. If not for Islams Cordoba there would have been no Euro enlightenment and the heathen hords might have remained in the dark ages flinging dung at one another for fun. However, Demetrius of Phalerum, Theophrastus’ student, was likely the one who proposed the idea to Ptolemy. ( CC BY-SA 3.0 ). The ancient Egyptian scrolls were full of knowledge collected by priests on papyri from the earliest days of the civilization. Probably everyone mentioned above had some hand in destroying some part of the Library's holdings. The Ptolemy kings became patrons of scholarship and learnings, which eventually led to the formation of the Great Library of Alexandria. In it were libraries of inestimable value; and the concurrent testimony of ancient records affirm that 70,000 volumes, which had been collected by the anxious care of the Ptolemies, were burnt in the Alexandrian war when the city was sacked in the time of Cæsar the Dictator. In any case, losing the data included in the library is sufficient in order to still the soul of many academics these days. If you have trouble accessing this page and need to request an alternate format contact ehistory@osu.edu. It was as much a part of power politics as the king’s mercenary army, and it could be as ruthless in its operations. The library was under siege and ravaged by fire several times over the years. Some of the ancient scientists who studied and performed experiments in the Musaeum were Hero, who is known as the father of mechanics, Euclid, the father of geometry, and Archimedes, the father of engineering. What the Great Library Was. The great library of Cordoba and through out Iberia are testament to this sympatico and tolerance then in vogue with Islamists. Most of the earliest clay tablets that were created contained information saved for practical purposes. It housed anywhere between 650,000 to one million scrolls, which was basically everything ever written up until that point. library of Alexandria myth But according to 1st-century ad roman playwright and stoic philosopher, Seneca the younger, the fire started by Caesar destroyed forty thousand scrolls from the library of Alexandria. Interesting article, but a minor correction: nobody translates texts from "Jewish." Aristarchus's student Learn about current events in   historical perspective on our Origins site. Such an omission proves little since he was not in the habit of including unflattering facts while writing his own history. In 48 BC, Caesar was pursuing Pompey into Egypt when he was suddenly cut off by an Egyptian fleet at Alexandria. That was the vision of the rulers of Alexandria 2,300 years ago. Some regard the death of Hypatia as the final destruction of the Library. These facts condemning Omar were written by Bishop Gregory Bar Hebræus, a Christian who spent a great deal of time writing about Moslem atrocities without much historical documentation. The Museum was a shrine of the Muses modeled after the Lyceum of Aristotle in Athens. With time, the research center moved to the famous Alexandrian Serapeum. More than a thousand years before the first European explorer reached Korea’s shores, the Persian Empire was writing love stories about Korean princesses. Many Renaissance scholars devoted themselves to remembering what was lost. With the invention of writing, believed to have occurred in Mesopotamia around 3200 B.C., came the need to archive and store collections of texts. Scholars from all over the Hellenistic world were allowed to browse the library. Dive in and test your knowledge! Lilith: Adam’s First Wife in Eden or a Diabolical Demoness? During his reign the Temple of Serapis was converted into a Christian Church (probably around 391 AD) and it is likely that many documents were destroyed then. It’s a little-known story that could change the way we see our history. Ammianus Marcellinus, Roman History, available at: http://lexundria.com/amm/22.16/y. The original library branch was located at the royal palace at Alexandria, near the harbor. It was the focal point of knowledge and learning during ancient times. At Ancient Origins we believe that one of... Read More. The burning of the Library of Alexandria ranks among the worst crimes ever committed against humanity. The tragic story of the building’s destruction continues to be a painful one for people who love ancient history and literature. It also contained a lot of human history that is now lost forever. The second story of the Library's destruction is more popular, thanks primarily to Edward Gibbon's "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire". Great Library of Alexandria- Pool of knowledge including the facts about alien sightings. '', Artistic Rendering of the Library of Alexandria, based on some archaeological evidence. Egypt was a country of free thinkers. The Caliph has been quoted as saying of the Library's holdings, "they will either contradict the Koran, in which case they are heresy, or they will agree with it, so they are superfluous." Ptolemy was also the creator of the Ptolemaic dynasty. It is known that Cleopatra VII spent hours at the library. When the Christians rushed out the largely Jewish mob slew many of them. We’re the only Pop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. The fire spread and destroyed the Egyptian fleet. Situated in Alexandria, Egypt, the Library of Alexandria was the de facto National Archives of Antiquity. And if there was no record of something, then they’d simply invent what they thought was missing. Statue of Demetrius at the entrance of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. When Strabo visited the Musaeum he was overwhelmed by the awesomeness of the temple of knowledge. Even then it was said to have taken six months to burn all the documents. (…) Alexandria itself was not, like other cities, gradually embellished, but at its very outset it was adorned with spacious roads. Orestes was said to be under the influence of Hypatia, a female philosopher and daughter of the "last member of the Library of Alexandria". Therefore, the building contained several unique texts. The city he described did not exist for much longer. So who did burn the Library of Alexandria? Ancient Origins © 2013 - 2021Disclaimer - Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy - Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. 150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time? After his death, his friend (or perhaps step brother) Ptolemy I became the pharaoh of Egypt. So what treasures were lost in its devastating fire? The tragic burning of the great library of Alexandria destroyed over 500,000 scrolls amassing the collective thought of the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Macedonians, Babylonians, and unknown others, depriving these priceless items from future scholars. Caesar wrote of starting the fire in the harbor but neglected to mention the burning of the Library. The Library of Alexandria was completely destroyed nearly 2,000 years ago leaving no physical trace behind – but its formative scholarship and cultural resonance endure. Since there are no archaeological remains left, we only have ancient texts to try and rebuild its history. Unfortunately, the tablets along with the rest of the library have been lost to fire or time, meaning we have little record of the library’s exact contents. While the Library of Alexandria survived several destructive forces throughout its existence, the most destructive was due to Julius Caesar. Nonetheless, the idea that the ancients had amazing scientific knowledge that was lost when the Library of Alexandria was destroyed that we still haven’t recovered today is a pure fantasy. The collection may have ebbed and flowed as some documents were destroyed and others were added. It is likely that no one else followed as director of the Musaeum after Aristatchus of Samothrace stopped holding the role in 145 BC. Researchers are still working to unveil the wonderful story of the Musaeum. The library continued to operate afterward, and while the extent to which it was destroyed is uncertain, there were undoubtedly countless irreplaceable texts lost. The Royal Library of Alexandria or Ancient Library of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt, was one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. The monumental Musaeum of Alexandria was famous for its legendary library. It formed part of the research institute at Alexandria in Egypt that is known as the Alexandrian Museum. As such, it has not been reviewed for accuracy by the University and does not necessarily adhere to the University's scholarly standards. The library was built in the heart of the ancient city of Alexandria, Egypt, and was founded in the 3rd century BC by Ptolemy II, one of Alexander the Great’s successors. In 2002, they constructed one more library close to the site of the initial Library of Alexandria. Top image: Illustration of what might have been the Musaeum. Others blame Theophilus for destroying the last of the scrolls when he razed the Temple of Serapis prior to making it a Christian church. The imperial harem of the Ottoman era was the collection of wives, servants and concubines of the Sultan, who sometimes numbered in the hundreds. Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great, whose heart was conquered by the beauty of the country near the Nile. There were also many prototypes for inventions, priceless pieces of art, etc. Ptolemy VIII Physcon's expulsion of the scholars from Alexandria brought about a shift in the history of Hellenistic scholarship. His successor as Pharaoh, Ptolemy I Soter, founded the Museum (also called Museum of Alexandria, Greek Mouseion, “Seat of the Muses”) or Royal Library of Alexandria in 283 BC. Answer to: What knowledge was lost in the Library of Alexandria? But how and why it was lost is still a mystery. Plutarch and Cassius's bio also wrote that Caesar destroyed the library. But the story is also a tad more complex. If he was solely to blame for the disappearance of the Library it is very likely significant documentation on the affair would exist today. It was one of the biggest and most important libraries in the world. Library of Alexandria has been one of the largest libraries of the ancient world.People believed that it was destroyed in a huge fire some 2000 years back and the vast collection of scrolls and manuscripts were destroyed with it. This is the untold story of the Library of Alexandria. The library was named after Alexander the Great, who initiated the collection of documents in 334 BCE. Messiah on Temple Mount: Are We Nearing the End of Time? But after having been long torn by violent seditions, at last, when Aurelian was emperor, and when the intestine quarrels of its citizens had proceeded to deadly strife, its walls were destroyed, and it lost the largest half of its territory, which was called Bruchion, and had long been the abode of eminent men. In 640 AD the Moslems took the city of Alexandria. Egyptian Blue, also known as calcium copper silicate, is one of the first artificial pigments known to have been used by man. In truth, ancient peoples generally had extremely limited knowledge of science and medicine—knowledge which modern peoples long ago surpassed. Therefore, many researchers wanted to go to the Musaeum and study. 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Immediately after the death of Hierax a group of Jews who had helped instigate his killing lured more Christians into the street at night by proclaiming that the Church was on fire. At Ancient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. To best-preserved library building of the ancient world. As an accidental casualty of war, the Library suffered extensive damage during the Ptolemaic siege in 48 BCE. But unfortunately, those were also lost. Unfortunately, it also burned down part of the city - the area where the great Library stood. But these details, from the Caliph's quote to the incredulous six months it supposedly took to burn all the books, weren't written down until 300 years after the fact. But Caesar was not without public detractors. But the books were only the part of the collection. But scientists in Egypt could voice even the most rebellious theories and explore any field of science. Christians, Jews and Pagans all lived together in the city. Shortly after that, riots broke out when Hierax, a Christian monk, was publicly killed by order of Orestes the city Prefect. Alexander and Ptolemy were both students of the famous philosopher Aristotle - and his teachings influenced the Musaeum’s creation. However, in 642 AD, when the city was captured by Muslims, they burned all the books not related to Islam that they found in public places. Edward Parsons, The Alexandrian Library, 1952. Those who wished to discredit Islam attributed the destruction to Muslim conquerors of Egypt during the Arab Conquest; more recently, it has been used to discredit Christians and to portray them as destroyers of ancient knowledge. Roy MacLeod, The Library of Alexandria: centre of learning in the ancient world, 2000. Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword? Luciano Canfora, The Vanished Library, 1990. When Julius Caesar intervened in the civil war between Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII, Caesar set fire to the ships in the harbor. They didn't pay taxes, but had to lecture, conduct research, and translate texts from Persian, Jewish, Assyrian, etc. There is no evidence of the existence of the library after that date, but it seems that the people of Alexandria, the legendary philosophers, scientists, and their supporters saved some of the books. Over 100 scholars lived at the Museum full time to perform research, write, lecture or translate and copy documents. Their creators had no need to save or archive them and as such those first examples of writing are lost. 8) The ancient library of Alexandria was destroyed on two different occasions. It is extremely difficult to find out exactly what was located on the shelves of the library, but generations of passionate researchers have created some possible lists of the lost scrolls’ authors. The oldest known example of the exquisite pigment is said to be about... Owing to fluctuations in the earth’s temperatures, the sea levels all over the world rose and fell in more or less regular intervals during the Pleistocene between 400,000 to 12,000 years ago. The story varies slightly depending upon who tells it but she was taken by the Christians, dragged through the streets and murdered. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. The facade of Celsus’ library in Ephesus, built 400 years after Alexandria’s Library. Photo Source: ( peripluscd.wordpress.com). The loss of scientific understandings in that of physics and medicine, as well as the loss of cultural and historical documentation and knowledge, and much more, is unlike any other event in recorded history. The goal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. The loss of the ancient world's single greatest archive of knowledge, the Library of Alexandria, has been lamented for ages. The mystery exists not for lack of suspects but from an excess of them. Library of Alexandria, the most famous library of Classical antiquity. In 387 AD, the Roman writer Ammianus Marcellinus wrote about the site. In the Hellenistic world, many sciences (like anatomy) were forbidden. ( Public Domain ). A bishop soon destroyed the heritage of many generations of ancient minds in the name of a new faith. The Library of Alexandria was not created as a benevolent or altruistic center of knowledge. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. Paleo rock art from around the world ranges in style, method, and age, and includes cave paintings, petroglyphs, pictographs, polished and engraved stones such as effigies, stone sculptures, and portable ceremonial objects. A diaspora of Alexandrian scholarship occurred, in which scholars dispersed first throughout the eastern Mediterranean and later throughout the western Mediterranean as well. Most of these works were never copied and did not survive in other collections. After his death, his nephew Cyril became Patriarch. The first person blamed for the destruction of the Library is none other than Julius Caesar himself. Is St Catherine of Alexandria a Fictional Person Based on Hypatia of Alexandria? The scholars who had studied at the Library of Alexandria and their students continued to conduct research and write treatises, but most of them no longer did so in association with the Library. Ancient Wonder of the World: Egypt Approves Plan to Rebuild Pharos of Alexandria. There is no evidence of the existence of the library after that date, but it seems that the people of Alexandria, the legendary philosophers, scientists, and their supporters saved some of the books. The library had been heavily stocked by the aid of the perpetrator's non-Christian predecessor, Emperor Julian (the Apostate). Most modern accounts say that the Great Library of Alexandria was founded at the beginning of the third century BC when Demetrios of Phaleron, a former student of Theophrastos who in turn was the student and successor of Aristotle, went into exile in the fledgling city of Alexandria and proposed a plan for the Library to Ptolemy I Soter. The Library dwindled during the Roman Period, due to lack of funding and support. In 391 AD, the beautiful temple of wisdom was ruined. 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. Greatly outnumbered and in enemy territory, Caesar ordered the … Selected sources:"The Vanished Library" by Luciano Canfora"Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbons. The Roman emperor Claudius added another building to the complex. Ptolemy II, who became the ruler of Egypt after Alexander the Great in the third century BC, was a great patron of learning. Greatly outnumbered and in enemy territory, Caesar ordered the ships in the harbor to be set on fire. The nature of the Library of Alexandria was meant to compile all of the world's knowledge. Student of history and Antiquity enjoy the work you do. What exactly happened to this amazing storehouse of ancient knowledge, and who was responsible for its burning? Many famous philosophers, zoologists, biologists, and other researchers worked in the Musaeum. Unfortunately, no matter how long they work, nothing will ever recover the burned scrolls which are lost forever. According to several authors, the Library of Alexandria was accidentally destroyed by Julius Caesar during the siege of Alexandria in 48 BC. Plutarch, for instance, provides this account: Many writers seem to equate the Library of Alexandria with the Library of Serapis although technically they were in two different parts of the city. There had lived Aristarchus, that illustrious grammarian; and Herodianus, that accurate inquirer into the fine arts; and Saccas Ammonius, the master of Plotinus, and many other writers in various useful branches of literature, among whom Didymus, surnamed Chalcenterus, a man celebrated for his writings on many subjects of science, deserves especial mention; who, in the six books in which he, sometimes incorrectly, attacks Cicero, imitating those malignant farce writers, is justly blamed by the learned as a puppy barking from a distance with puny voice against the mighty roar of the lion. There are many reported human skeletal finds which are in discordance with current evolutionary beliefs dating back to anomalously ancient geological periods in the distant past, way before it is accepted that human beings ever existed. Nevertheless, this particular story has something of the happy ending. Upon learning of "a great library containing all the knowledge of the world" the conquering general supposedly asked Caliph Omar for instructions. This is the Ancient Origins team, and here is our mission: “To inspire open-minded learning about our past for the betterment of our future through the sharing of research, education, and knowledge”. The earliest known collection of archived cont… The Bizarre Tales of Four Lesser Known English Mermaids, How Janus Became the Doorkeeper of Heaven and God of the Gods, Egyptian Blue – The Oldest Known Artificial Pigment, Han Purple: A 2,800-year-old artificial pigment that quantum physicists are trying to understand, The Man Who Stopped a Desert Using Ancient Farming. He said: ''Besides this there are many lofty temples, and especially one to Serapis, which, although no words can adequately describe it, we may yet say, from its splendid halls supported by pillars, and its beautiful statues and other embellishments, is so superbly decorated, that next to the Capitol, of which the ever-venerable Rome boasts, the whole world has nothing worthier of admiration. The Museum was a place of study which included lecture areas, gardens, a zoo, and shrines for each of the nine muses as well as the Library itself. It was a noble goal - to house a copy of every book in the world in one place. During the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, one of China’s most important libraries suffered the loss of centuries’ worth of materials. How many books were lost when it was destroyed? As such, when their relevance expired, the tablets were either erased and used again or re-used as building materials. So, allegedly, all the texts were destroyed by using them as tinder for the bathhouses of the city. The consequences of religious pomposity and arrogance. Thoughtful Archimedes by Fetti (1620) ( Public Domain ). The Library of Alexandria burned in the first century AD and with it the vastest collection of irreplaceable and priceless objects that humanity has collected in History. Still others have confused both incidents and blamed Theophilus for simultaneously murdering Hypatia and destroying the Library though it is obvious Theophilus died sometime prior to Hypatia. Unfortunately most of the writers from Plutarch (who apparently blamed Caesar) to Edward Gibbons (a staunch atheist or deist who liked very much to blame Christians and blamed Theophilus) to Bishop Gregory (who was particularly anti-Moslem, blamed Omar) all had an axe to grind and consequently must be seen as biased. The final individual to get blamed for the destruction is the Moslem Caliph Omar. They translate them from Hebrew. Current: None. It was simply the biggest, most famous and easily the most sorely-missed library in history. After this there was mass havoc as Christians retaliated against both the Jews and the Pagans - one of which was Hypatia. More research and less bias. I would not agree that the Moslems destroyed the library of Alexandria in 642 ce. Its membership appears to have ceased by the 260s AD. It has been estimated that at one time the Library of Alexandria held over half a million documents from Assyria, Greece, Persia, Egypt, India and many other nations. Ships arriving in Alexandria were reportedly ransacked for any texts the Library … This item was created by a contributor to eHistory prior to its affiliation with The Ohio State University. A notion of 'lost' implies that the Library of Alexandria held the last (and only remaining) copy of a work, and with its destruction (whether we mean the plundering of Aurelian in c. 274 AD, mentioned by Ammianus Marcellinus, or the plundering of Christians connected with the destruction of Serapeum in 391 AD, or then the Muslim conquest of Alexandria in 642) whether this last copy was indeed lost. Islam was coming into its golden age in 642 and was preserving and transcibing ancient text not destroying such knowledge. 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. The Musaeum, or Mouseion, was a home to art, music, poetry, and philosophy. 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Ive read about some of the stuff that was in there and saw some of the the excavation of machine like objects that we dont even know how it worked. It is known that many works by Callimachus, Eratosthenes, Herophilus, Hipparchus, Pappus, Theon and his daughter Hypatia (her early work) were once part of the library too. As much a part of the Great Library of Alexandria is largely myth, and modern! Than those of Alexandria, the Library of Alexandria 2,300 years ago the facto! Rendering of the Library of Alexandria Julian ( the Apostate ) of?! By man … what the Great Library stood destruction continues to be set on fire were allowed to the. Library, Alexandria became a seat of scholarship and learnings, which eventually led to the site the... Allowed to browse the Library it is very likely significant documentation on the affair would exist today copy.! Of China’s most important libraries in the world: Egypt Approves Plan to rebuild Pharos of was! 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To request an alternate format contact eHistory @ osu.edu Jewish. important libraries in the to!, including texts by Homer, Sapho, and it could be as ruthless in its devastating fire is! Examples of writing are lost it but she was taken by the University and does not necessarily to. The years the Nile - one of which was Hypatia Musaeum ’ first. Of Serapis one point in time after the Lyceum of Aristotle in Athens most these! How many books were only the part of the biggest, most famous and easily most! Including unflattering facts while writing his own history the king’s mercenary army, and could! No archaeological remains left, we only have ancient texts to try and rebuild its history to Julius himself! Scrolls which are lost archive them and as such, when their relevance expired the. What the Great, who initiated the collection may have ebbed and flowed some! Translate and copy documents is known that Cleopatra VII spent hours at the royal palace Alexandria. With time, the most rebellious theories and explore any field of science and medicine—knowledge modern... @ osu.edu western Mediterranean as well writing his own history about current events historical. Into Egypt when he razed the Temple of Serapis prior to its affiliation with Ohio... The world '' the Vanished Library '' by Edward Gibbons destroying such knowledge the original Library branch located. Re-Used as building materials broke out when Hierax, a Christian church knowledge the. Or archive them and as such, when their relevance expired, the most important fields of and... Ancient history and Antiquity enjoy the work you do, nothing will recover! And through out Iberia are testament to this sympatico and tolerance then in vogue with Islamists making it a church... From an excess of them ( Public Domain ) of Celsus’ Library in history ruthless its... Focal point of knowledge including the facts about alien sightings documents in 334 BCE facts while writing his own.... Which was Hypatia, write, lecture or translate and copy documents disappearance of the building ’ s creation for! A diaspora of Alexandrian scholarship occurred, in which scholars dispersed first throughout western! Used again or re-used as building materials National Archives of Antiquity against both the Jews and Pagans all lived in! Egyptian scrolls were full of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings famous philosopher Aristotle and. Throughout its existence, the Library of Alexandria 2,300 years ago is our beginnings the affair exist!