Buildings don’t just vanish, do they? This story is about how a beacon of ancient culture, knowledge, and growth was seemingly destroyed, but how and when it happened remains a mystery.
As I finished my ImDontai video, it was as if I was searching for another; an interesting title caught my gaze: “The Library of Alexandria.” Revealing the mystery behind this building, this video initiated my fascination with this library as I learned how we lost centuries of human knowledge and innovation. Despite how much I hate doing research, I felt prompted to do more digging.
The Library of Alexandria. Established during the reign of Ptolemy II in 285–246 BC, The Library of Alexandria held countless ancient documents highlighting the progressive intellect of humans.
“Historians have estimated that the Library of Alexandria held over half a million documents from Assyria, Greece, Persia, Egypt, India, and many other nations”. This library was a place where wisdom grew, and culture thrived.
The Great Library
Set in Alexandria, The Great Library contributed to the intellectual and cultural greatness of the ancient city. With its many documents, the Great Library’s large inventory needed expansion.
The Great Library was part of a research institute known as the Museum. The Museum was a place of study that included lecture areas, gardens, a zoo, and shrines. Despite how big this library seems, it was tragically destroyed. Even today, the cause and reason for its destruction remain a mystery, as historical events disturb the set time and cause of destruction. Making it as if a gust of wind took it along.
Caesar’s Civil War
Julius Caesar didn’t intentionally burn down the Library of Alexandria. But it was during his military campaign in 48 BC, that a fire broke out in the city of Alexandria, which is believed to have damaged the library. The origin of this fire was when Cleopatra cried out for his help in obtaining the throne.
A great battle erupted during the struggle for the throne, causing the library to suffer injury as he ordered an Egyptian fleet to be burned. “To avoid being cut off by the Egyptian fleet, Caesar set fire to the ships in the harbor, which then spread to the city.” The wild part is nobody knows how much damage the fire truly caused.
Theophilus
“The destruction of the Great Library sets it at the feet of Theophilus.” Another person blamed for the fire was none other than Theophilus, a ruler of Alexandria. He’s been accused of destroying significant cultural monuments in the city, including the Temple of Serapis, the daughter library that contains part of the Library of Alexandria.
Starting Christian protest against pagan temples, he weaponized Christianity, which caused the fire to be set to pagan elements throughout the city. While this event did not directly destroy the library itself, the loss of the temple contributed to the loss of the library.
Recovery and Excavation
Similar to the current Los Angeles’ wildfire situation, after the Christian fires, it’s said that a series of fires swept through the collection around soon after like. These violent fires left no trace behind, no significant texts or documents were found the after the library’s destruction.
The library’s holdings likely included many unique artifacts, but over time, the various incidents leading to its end resulted in a near-total loss of everything. Some may have been found in different locations or were copied elsewhere, but the original documents of the library were truly lost.
Conclusion
The loss of the Library is considered a significant cultural tragedy. It stood for various forms of knowledge and held works in science, philosophy, literature, and history. As it may feel pointless, its destruction erased invaluable texts and hindered our understanding of our history.
A building that was once a hub for scholars and philosophers, making a ground for collaboration and innovation was caught within flames and time. As it once flourished with innovation and intellect, the Library of Alexandria met a tragic fate through this sad series of destructive events. The library, a significant learning center with a vast text collection from various cultures, seemingly vanished without a trace.
