On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we travel back in time and look at one of the most important creations of the ancient world—the Library of Alexandria. This was considered to be the largest library ever built by humanity (until the Library of Congress…), and it was destroyed in a raging fire. Or, that’s what people think, anyway.

So, how big was this library? It contained upwards of a million scrolls and books from all of the ancient, Western World. From Egypt to Greece to Rome and all parts nearby, if you wrote it, they had it. It housed a hundred scholars who were paid to live there and simply think and invent. In this way, it was a precursor to modern research universities by a few thousand years.

The library was established by Alexander the Great who wanted a major hub of learning to be in his new capitol, so the military could always have an advantage. The head librarians and the Ptolemys who took after his death saw something much more grand in this place. It was set out to be a place to worship the Muses, but its contents and glory spread as the new rulers paid more money to make it even more grand.

The head librarian had the power to seize ships that came to port and make copies of any written work they had on board (copies on finer paper would be returned, but the originals stayed in the library). They’d send curators to all nearby city states to get the original works of anything they had written—science, math, mapping, literature, history, medicine—you name it, they wanted it.

The destruction of this unparalleled center for learning is a mystery for historians to this day. Some say Julius Caesar destroyed it as he set fire to the docks of Alexandria. Others think this damaged the secondary building, but not the grand Library of Alexandria itself. Another camp thinks it was Christians who lived in the city and were rioting against pagans who kept written works in the towers. And yet another camp thinks it was Muslims who destroyed anything that didn’t mesh with the Koran. It was probably a lot more complicated than any of those single things, but the rise and fall of one of the most impactful houses of thought in the history of humanity is a worthy topic for your ear holes.

 

Visit our Sources:

https://ehistory.osu.edu/articles/burning-library-alexandria

https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-africa-history-important-events/destruction-great-library-alexandria-001644

https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2010/06/the-perniciously-persistent-myths-of-hypatia-and-the-great-library

https://www.crystalinks.com/libraryofalexandria.html

https://www.geek.com/news/the-great-conspiracy-of-egypts-mythical-library-the-hall-of-records-1647814/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Library-of-Alexandria

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Library-of-Alexandria

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Alexandria