The Library of Alexandria, the epitome of the idea of a “Universal Library,” is a well-known ancient world wonder that has no evidence of existing (Haughton). Some believe it to be a myth that the ancient library was destroyed in a fire, losing all of the works it contained. If the library was still standing today, it would be able to provide much valuable information and manuscripts that could help understand civilizations and cultures from thousands of years ago.
Alexandria is a city that, much like many others, was named after Alexander the Great, conqueror. Alexander helped build a global empire unlike any other before his time that allowed people to see that there was far more than their own culture. But it wasn’t until after his death in 323 BCE and the reign of his general, Ptolemy I Soter, that the idea of a “Universal Library” that could hold the knowledge from every corner of the world came forward. The idea came undoubtedly from a man named Demetrius of Phalerum, formerly of Athens where he was appointed governor until the return of Democracy. Fleeing to Alexandria for refuge, he persuaded Ptolemy I to build a library containing a copy of every book the world had to offer (El-Abbadi; Haughton).
The Temple of the Muses, also referred to as the Museum, was home to botanical gardens, laboratories, and the Library (Haughton). Ptolemy II, son to Ptolemy I, completed the Royal Library, the final piece of the Temple of Muses. There were stories of creative ways of filling the Library with knowledge. One was every ship docked in Alexandria was searched for books, and once found, they would be taken into custody to determine whether o r not they had any value. If found worthy to keep, they would make a copy to return to the owner along with compensation (El-Abbaddi). Another story was how Ptolemy III acquired original works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides that resided in Athens as prized works. He convinced the governors to lend the works to be copied along with a pledge for the save return. The works were copied and then those copies were returns to Athens with the return of the pledge (El-Abbadi). It’s said the collection of knowledge overfilled the Royal Library and a daughter library was built, creating two sites. According to a Greek writer named Callimachus, the daughter library contained about 42,800 scrolls in his life (305 BCE- 240 BCE). However, much later (around 300 CE) much higher estimations of 700,000 were given.
Then the devastation of the library by fire took place, but it’s an argument as to when the fire occurred. Many people believe Julius Caesar is to blame when he involved himself in a civil dispute between his acclaimed lover, Cleopatra, and her brother, Ptolemy XIII. Caesar occupied the city in 48 BCE and found himself surrounded by the Egyptian fleet (El-Abbadi). His men set fire to the ships, but the fire spread uncontrollably to parts of the city (Haughton). According to Plutarch, who wrote about the event, claimed that the Royal Library was destroyed in the spread of fire to the city. However, approximately three decades later, scholar and philosopher Strabo mentions a Museum that is believed to refer to the Library, hurting claims that it had been burned down by Caesar (Haughton). Alternatively, it claims he is expressing grief that such a library had been destroyed and he could not obtain the knowledge, supporting the Royal Library was gone (Al-Abbadi). It is speculated that the Royal Library was in fact destroyed, but the daughter library remained.
Nearly 400 years later, Emperor Theodosius I set out to destroy paganism, destroying the Temple of the Muses (Haughton). Eyewitnesses testify that the building was destroyed down to the foundation, which was too heavy and massive to move. It’s claimed Theophilus, the bishop who led the destructive attack, ordered a Christian church be built on the remains (Al-Abbadi; Haughton). This was the second destruction which was of the second site.
The final idea of the destruction of the “Universal Library” looks to Caliph Omar in 640 CE. It is said that after capturing Alexandria, he declared, “They will either contradict the Koran, in which case they are heresy, or they will agree with it, so they are superfluous,” and had the collection of 4,000 manuscripts burned (Haughton; Musharraf) . However, this theory did not come about until near the 13th century and is often considered a flourished myth that arose from political tensions at the time. Since there is strong and supported evidence that both sites were destroyed prior to the Islamic invasion, this theory, once a controversial idea, has long been denied by scholars.
Unfortunately, there are no physical remains of the city. No archaeological evidence has been found of the foundation of the building or its contents. A great fountain of information was destroyed, and the rest of the world will forever mourn the great loss of culture and knowledge.
Works Cited
El-Abbadi, Mostafa. “Library of Alexandria.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 8 Feb. 2019, www.britannica.com/topic/Library-of-Alexandria#ref334082. Accessed 6 March 2019.
The author, Mostafa El-Abbadi, is a professor at the University of Alexandria, Egypt. He claims that the Library of Alexandria was the first of its kind, a “universal library” that would hold all the knowledge and culture the world had to offer from every corner of the globe. His writing contributes to Britannica which is a helpful source to all looking for scholarly information, particularly helpful to students, high school and older. He remains firm in his belief that the library was a great achievement that was destroyed before the Islamic reign and therefore, Caliph Omar was not responsible for the destruction. He provides detailed information, and the article contains internal links to names and places one may not be familiar with. He supports the idea there were two separate events that destroyed the two sites individually and is a great, reliable source.
Haughton, Brian. “What Happened at the Great Library of Alexandria?” Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2011, https://www.ancient.eu/article/207/what-happened-to-the-great-library-at-alexandria/. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Brian Haughton is an author and researcher on ancient civilizations and monuments as well as a qualified archeologist. He aims to educate students and scholars alike. His article is from the perspective of an archeologist so he refuses to completely believe the Library is gone forever but rather waiting to be discovered. While most of his evidence appears to be concrete, he brings up a few minor speculations that other sources prove wrong or incorrect. However, the article provides a good summary of the major events that took place and the details around them that anyone could walk away with a good understanding.
“Library of Alexandria – Documentary : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive, archive.org/details/Library.of.Alexandria-Documentary. Accessed 11 March 2019.
Musharraf, Muhammad Nabeel. “Destruction On Library Of Alexandria || Australian Research Journals : Muhammad Nabeel Musharraf : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive, 1 Jan. 1970, archive.org/details/DestructionOnLibraryOfAlexandria/page/n7. Accessed 6 March 2019.
Muhammad Musharraf’s work is archived with the Australian Islamic Library. His work sets out to prove the innocence of Caliph Omar in the destruction of the Library in 7th century CE. The primary audience is other scholars who claim the Caliph is responsible despite the fact most scholars have abandoned the thought. Although his work is almost entirely around the false accusations, he still provides valuable and detailed information about the events leading to the destruction of both sites of the great
Media: https://archive.org/details/Library.of.Alexandria-Documentary