Table of Contents
Who burned down the Alexandrian Library?
Julius Caesar
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.
Did the Library of Alexandria exist?
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”).
Has anything been recovered from the Library of Alexandria?
The Great Library of Alexandria did recover, however, its burned books lamented in the Caesarean fire of 48 BC—just as some remnant survived the depredations of Caracalla in AD 215, by which time the “daughter” library in the Temple of Serapis had been completed (Caracalla residing there while in Alexandria).
How many times did the Library of Alexandria burn?
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. When Julius Caesar intervened in the civil war between Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII, Caesar set fire to the ships in the harbor.
Why was the library of Alexandria destroyed?
The first person blamed for the destruction of the Library is none other than Julius Caesar himself. In 48 BC, Caesar was pursuing Pompey into Egypt when he was suddenly cut off by an Egyptian fleet at Alexandria. Greatly outnumbered and in enemy territory, Caesar ordered the ships in the harbor to be set on fire.
Did Library of Alexandria burn down?
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; the geographer Strabo mentions having visited the Mouseion in around 20 BC and the …
How much was lost in the burning of the Library of Alexandria?
The flames soon reached the beloved Library of Alexandria. It is believed that nearly 10 percent of the building went up in flames that day, although the specifics of what was burned and the extent of the damage are unknown.
Was the burning of Alexandria an accident?
Ammianus Marcellinus thought that it happened when the city was sacked under Caesar, and Caesar himself reported the burning of Alexandria as an accidental consequence of his war against his great rival Pompey, in 48–47 BCE.
Who was the last person to destroy the Library of Alexandria?
No ancient sources mention the destruction of any library during this particular time period. Hence, there is no evidence that the Christians of the 4 th century destroyed the Library of Alexandria. The last possible perpetrator of this crime would be the Muslim Caliph, Omar.
What did Alexander the Great do in the library?
When Alexander marched east to India, he designated administrators in the libraries and archives of the countries he conquered to study local laws and records to determine the best means of governing each region. The great library at Alexandria in Egypt was founded by the Ptolemy dynasty around 290 BC, in a palace district known as the Brucheion.
Why did the Great Library of Alexandria burn?
While Caesar’s forces were besieged at Alexandria, some of the soldiers tried to block Ptolemy XIV’s fleet by setting fire to ships already docked at the port. Supposedly, this fire spread to the city and burned a portion of the Great Library as well as several thousands of scrolls in the process.
Who was the second head librarian of the Library of Alexandria?
After Zenodotus either died or retired, Ptolemy II Philadelphus appointed Apollonius of Rhodes (lived c. 295–c. 215 BC), a native of Alexandria and a student of Callimachus, as the second head librarian of the Library of Alexandria.