When did the Great Library of Alexandria burn down?
THE Great Library of Alexandria burned down mysteriously.
It was the largest library in the ancient world and contained the works of the greatest thinkers and writers.
What was the Great Library of Alexandria?
Ancient Alexandria was founded in Egypt by Alexander the Great.
Alexander’s successor, Ptolemy I Soter, founded the library, which is believed to have also been referred to as the museum.
According to The Collector, a text in the second century stated: “Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, was so eager to collect books, that he ordered the books of everyone who sailed there to be brought to him.
“The books were then copied into new manuscripts.
“He gave the new copy to the owners, whose books had been brought to him after they sailed there, but he put the original copy in the library.”
The Great Library of Alexandria was the largest in the ancient world.
Many of the works there were by the greatest Roman and Greek philosophers and writers, including Homer, Socrates, Plato and many more.
It is believed that the library was founded in ancient Alexandria around the beginning of the 3rd century BC.
Ancient Alexandria ruled as the greatest city in ancient Egypt and the world.
Formerly a small fishing village on the Nile Delta, it became a cultural and intellectual centre.
When did the Great Library of Alexandria burn down?
Much to the horror of the ancient world, the library burned down in 48 BC.
Debate has surrounded who as responsible for the destruction.
The main one is that the library was accidentally burned by Julius Caesar during his civil war in 48 BC.
The story being that Caesar found himself in the Royal Palace, hemmed in by the Egyptian fleet in the harbour.
He ordered that the Egyptian ships were set on fire.
Unfortunately, the fire spread to parts of the city nearest the shore, which included warehouses, depots and the Great Library.
What is believed to have been lost in the fire?
It is not known what the damage was and how many great works were lost.
Historians believe that the number could be roughly around 100 000 books.
The library contained the works of the greatest writers and philosophers of the ancient world.
It also had an estimated 100 scholars at its peak.
Many argue that it was catastrophic and world histories, science documents and mathematical theories were lost.
Today, there isn’t any archaeological evidence left of the Great Library of Alexandria.
Old Alexandria is buried deep under modern Alexandria.
Scientists and historians don’t even know with precision where the museum was located.