The Library of Alexandria
The Library of Alexandria grew from Ptolemy I's ambition to gather all human knowledge in one place. The project was inspired by Aristotle's Lyceum and possibly advised by Demetrius of Phalerum, a student of Aristotle who came to Alexandria around 297 BCE. The Library was attached to the Mouseion — a community of scholars maintained at royal expense, with dining hall, gardens, and exedra for discussion. The Library's growth was systematic and aggressive. Ptolemaic agents purchased books throughout the Mediterranean world. Ships entering Alexandria harbor had their books confiscated, copied, and the copies returned while the originals were kept. Ptolemy III borrowed the official Athenian state copies of the great tragedians' plays and kept the originals, forfeiting fifteen talents of silver deposit. The Library eventually held an estimated 400,000 to 700,000 scrolls. The scholars at the Library transformed ancient learning. Euclid composed the Elements of geometry there around 300 BCE, systematizing mathematics in a form used until the 19th century. Eratosthenes (chief librarian around 240 BCE) calculated the circumference of the earth to within 2% accuracy. Aristarchus proposed a heliocentric model of the solar system. Herophilus and Erasistratus performed systematic dissections advancing anatomy. Callimachus created the first catalogue of Greek literature. The library's history is surrounded by legends of destruction — Caesar's fire in 48 BCE, the Christian patriarch Theophilus in 391 CE, the Arab conquest in 642 CE. In reality the Library declined gradually through cuts in royal support and political instability. The modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina, opened in 2002 near the ancient site, commemorates the original.
- Year: 295 BCE
- Category: Cultural
