Library of Alexandria vk. Library of Alexandria and all-all-all

And here's another thing I remembered.
Somehow I had a chance to spend the night in the glorious city of Cairo, where a local Arab ghoul persuaded me to make a trip to Alexandria (which is on the Mediterranean Sea). He argued without a doubt masterfully. In Alexandria, for example, you can look at the remains of the Pharos Lighthouse, from which the enterprising Mamluks, fearing the growth of the influence of the Ottomans, assembled a good fortress (which, by the way, did not prevent the Turks from squeezing and modernizing this fortress at all). So, if you want to touch a stone that was once part of one of the seven wonders of the world - put your paw on the fortress wall of Kite Bay and enjoy. Of course, the lighthouse itself has not even been mentioned for a very solid period of centuries, but the pebbles are in place. Then I was invited to admire the very beautiful both outside and inside the mosque named after the Arab-Sunni comrade Sufi Abul-Abbas al-Mursi. Also a very worthwhile pastime. I have a passion for wandering inside all sorts of cathedrals, temples, khuruls and mosques. We were also strongly recommended to visit and inspect the catacombs of Kom-el-Shukaf, which, unfortunately, I never got to, and the huge shady royal gardens with date trees at grand palace Al-Haramlik, where I actually ate these dates from the ground. With all this splendor, the main trump card in favor of visiting Alexandria was saved for last. He completely blew me away when on the leaky version in English began to talk about the obligatory visit to the Library of Alexandria. I crouched slightly in amazement and asked whether such names as Gaius Julius Caesar and Aurelian were familiar to the child, since if the first one damaged this library only partially, then the second completely ruined the main book depository. The Cairyan nodded his swarthy head in agreement, casually walked over the restored Alexandria Library and switched to comparing modern Cairo and Alexandria by analogy with Moscow and St. Petersburg.

But I was no longer up to the cultural confrontation between the two cities. I grabbed the Arab with a stranglehold, demanding details about the restored library. The guide was terribly amazed at my ignorance and told me that the library had been restored for several years, attracts tourists from all over the world, is the pride of Alexandria and annually receives many students. Knowing the love of local residents for exaggeration, to put it mildly, I asked the scoundrel several times and clarified how close to the truth what he was saying. It was not possible to subject his words to a more thorough check, I didn’t have a tablet then, and everything was sad with Wi-Fi. In short, this straw did break the camel's back and I ended up in Alexandria. I will not talk about this city of contrasts. Perhaps only those who have not even seen one postcard with St. Petersburg could compare it with St. Petersburg. Even the sphinxes that could have related us remained in Cairo Museum yes in Giza. Although the mosque, the gardens, the fortress and the unusually ferocious waves of the Mediterranean Sea left their mark on my memories, as well as the shabby streets with colorful stalls littered with fruit.

In a word, at X-hour, having tasted everything I wanted, I finally went to the restored library. And after all, the little kid didn’t lie, the Library of Alexandria really exists. Beautiful. Glass, concrete and fountains...
A very, very modern building by the standards of even some progressive European countries. I believe that the emperor Aurelian would have had to sweat a lot to burn this receptacle.
By the way, I also have serious doubts about the historicity of the location. However, this question should be left to professionals. I remember one thing. I really wanted to press one swarthy face against the wall and give it a good shake. I guess that's the reason why he didn't catch my eye.
There is no moral to this fable. Well, except perhaps: trust local experts less and always double-check what they say.
Well, long live wi-fi!

Two millennia ago, the largest educational and research center of the Ancient World operated in Egypt. Unique knowledge was concentrated in the Library of Alexandria and perfected greatest discoveries that have come down to our days. Unfortunately, the people themselves destroyed the great monument to science through their own stupidity. History may repeat itself today.

It is believed that the Library of Alexandria was founded in the 290s-280s. BC. in the ancient city of the same name on the northern coast of Africa. Her first patron was the Egyptian king Ptolemy I Soter, half-brother of Alexander the Great. Under him, a religious, research, educational and cultural complex was built, called Museyon ("museum"). One of its elements was the famous library. The entire complex was dedicated to the Muses, the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who were considered patrons of the arts. Under the patronage of the kings of the Ptolemaic dynasty, Museion flourished.

Scientists-researchers of astronomy, anatomy, and zoology lived here permanently. Outstanding philosophers and scientists of Antiquity worked and experimented in Alexandria: Euclid, Archimedes, Ptolemy, Edesia, Pappus, Aristarchus of Samos. They had at their disposal not only an extensive collection of books and scrolls, but also thirteen lecture halls, classrooms, banquet halls, and beautiful gardens. The building was decorated with Greek columns, which have survived to this day. It was here that Euclid developed the doctrine of mathematics and geometry, Archimedes became famous for his work on hydraulics and mechanics, Heron created the steam engine.

Now it is difficult to determine the size of the collection of the Library of Alexandria. Until the 4th century, mainly papyrus scrolls were kept here, after which books began to gain popularity. Researchers believe that up to 700,000 scrolls were stored in the library during its heyday.

The collection was replenished by painstaking copying of original manuscripts, which were mined wherever possible. Mistakes were bound to occur when copying, but the librarians found an interesting way out. Thus, the Roman physician, surgeon and philosopher Galen reports that all books and scrolls were confiscated from all ships entering Alexandria. After the scribes made copies of them, they were given to the owners, and the originals remained in the library of Alexandria.

For scholars and wealthy patrons and members of the royal family, exact copies books, which brought a lot of income to the library. Part of these funds was spent on attracting scientists from other cities. They were paid travel, accommodation, and even stipends to support their families. A lot of money "revolved" around the library.

Galen wrote that King Ptolemy III once asked the Athenians original lyrics Euripides, Sophocles and Aeschylus. They demanded a pledge of 15 talents (about 400 kilograms of gold). Ptolemy III made a contribution to the Athenians, copies of the received documents were made and, according to a well-established scheme, the Alexandrians returned them, leaving the originals for themselves.

To protect their scrolls and improve conditions, Athenian scholars living in Alexandria began to look for the best place. And in 145 BC. Ptolemy VIII, by his decree, removed all foreign scientists from Alexandria.

After centuries of prosperity, the Library of Alexandria was expected hard times. Around 48 BC. Julius Caesar captured the city and set fire to enemy ships in the harbor. The fire spread and damaged buildings in the harbor. At the same time, part of the library collection burned down. During the war, the Egyptians became dependent on Rome, and from that moment the decline of the Library of Alexandria began, because the Romans preferred to use it for their own needs. The next misfortune happened in 273 AD, when during the uprising the troops of Emperor Aurelian captured the city. Most of the library's precious collection burned down or was plundered.

After the library was destroyed, scholars used a "daughter library" in the Serapeum Temple. But in 391 AD. the worship of pagan gods was outlawed, and Patriarch Theophilus closed all the temples of Alexandria. Socrates describes how all the pagan temples in the city were destroyed, including the Serapeum. Thus ended the glorious 700-year history of the Library of Alexandria, about which very little is known so far.

After two millennia, the famous library was revived. Alexandrina opened in 2002 and now houses 8 million books from all over the world, as well as a huge archive of electronic sources. Unfortunately, the political and religious intolerance of certain segments of the population Arab countries threaten her again. locals together protect the library from fanatics. They are afraid of repeating the history of the period when.

The Library of Alexandria was one of the largest in the ancient world. Founded by the successors of Alexander the Great, it maintained the status of an intellectual and educational center back in the 5th century. However, throughout its long history, time after time there were powers of the world this, trying to destroy this torch of culture. Let's ask ourselves: why?

Chief Librarians

It is believed that the Library of Alexandria was founded by Ptolemy I or Ptolemy II. The city itself, which is easy to understand by its name, was founded by Alexander the Great, and this happened in 332 BC. Alexandria of Egypt, which, according to the plan of the great conqueror, was destined to become the center of scientists and intellectuals, became, probably, the first city in the world built entirely of stone, without the use of wood. The library consisted of 10 great halls and research rooms. Until now, they argue about the name of its founder. If this word is understood as the initiator and creator, and not the king who ruled at that time, the true founder of the library, most likely, should be recognized as a man named Demetrius of Phaler.

The library contained priceless documents
Demetrius of Phalera appeared in Athens in 324 BC as a tribune of the people and was elected governor seven years later. He ruled Athens for 10 years: from 317 to 307 BC. Demetrius issued quite a lot of laws. Among them is a law that limited the luxury of burials. In his time, Athens had 90,000 citizens, 45,000 admitted foreigners, and 400,000 slaves. As for the personality of Demetrius of Phalers himself, he was considered a trendsetter in his country: he was the first Athenian to lighten his hair with hydrogen peroxide.
Later he was removed from his post, and he left for Thebes. There, Demetrius wrote a huge number of works, one of which, with a strange name - "On a light beam in the sky", - is believed by ufologists to be the world's first work on flying saucers. In 297 BC, Ptolemy I persuaded him to settle in Alexandria. That's when Demetrius founded the library. After the death of Ptolemy I, his son Ptolemy II sent Demetrius to the Egyptian city of Busiris. There the creator of the library died from the bite of a poisonous snake.
Ptolemy II continued to study the library, was interested in the sciences, mainly in zoology. He appointed Zenodotus of Ephesus as keeper of the library, who performed these functions until 234 BC. The surviving documents make it possible to extend the list of the main custodians of the library: Eratosthenes of Cyrene, Aristophanes of Byzantium, Aristarchus of Samothrace. After that, the information becomes foggy.
Librarians have expanded the collection over the centuries, adding to it papyri, parchment, and even, according to legend, printed books. The library contained simply priceless documents. She began to have enemies, mainly in ancient Rome.

First plunder and secret books

The first plunder of the Library of Alexandria was committed in 47 BC by Julius Caesar. By that time, it was considered a repository of secret books, giving almost unlimited power. When Caesar arrived in Alexandria, there were at least 700,000 manuscripts in the library. But why did some of them start to inspire fear? Of course, there were books in Greek, which were treasures classical literature that we have lost forever. But among them should not be dangerous. But the whole legacy of the Babylonian priest Beross who fled to Greece could well be alarming. Berossus was a contemporary of Alexander the Great and lived into the Ptolemaic era. In Babylon he was a priest of Bel. He was a historian, astrologer and astronomer. He invented a semicircular sun dial and created theories of the addition of solar and lunar rays, anticipating modern works by light interference. But in some of his works, Berossus wrote about something very strange. For example, about the civilization of giants and either about aliens, or about an underwater civilization.

Thomas Cole The Way of Empire. Destruction" 1836
The library of Alexandria kept complete collection writings of Manetho. The Egyptian priest and historian, a contemporary of Ptolemy I and Ptolemy II, was initiated into all the mysteries of Egypt. Even his very name can be interpreted as "the favorite of Thoth" or "knowing the truth of Thoth." This man maintained relations with the last Egyptian priests. He was the author of eight books and collected 40 carefully selected scrolls in Alexandria, which contained the hidden Egyptian secrets, including, probably, the Book of Thoth. The Alexandrian Library also kept the works of the Phoenician historian Mokus, who is credited with the creation of the atomic theory. There were also exceptionally rare and valuable Indian manuscripts.
Not a trace remains of all these manuscripts. It is known that before the destruction of the library: there were 532,800 scrolls. It is known that there were departments that could be called "Mathematical Sciences" and "Natural Sciences". There was also a general directory, also destroyed. All these destructions are attributed to Julius Caesar. He took away some of the books: some he burned, others he kept for himself. Until now, there is no complete certainty about what exactly happened then. And two thousand years after the death of Caesar, he still has both supporters and opponents. Supporters say he didn't burn anything in the library itself; it is possible that a number of books burned in the port warehouse in Alexandria, but it was not the Romans who set fire to them. Caesar's opponents, on the contrary, argue that a huge number of books were destroyed on purpose. Their number is not exactly defined and ranges from 40 to 70 thousand. There is also an intermediate opinion: the fire spread to the library from the quarter where the fighting took place, and it burned down by accident.
In any case, the library was not completely destroyed. Neither the opponents nor the supporters of Caesar talk about it, their contemporaries - too; the stories about the event that are closest to it in time are nevertheless separated from it by two centuries. Caesar himself does not deal with this topic in his notes. Apparently, he "seized" individual books that seemed to him the most interesting.

Coincidence or "men in black"?

The most serious of the subsequent ruins of the library was most likely perpetrated by Zenobia Septimius, queen of Palmyra, and the emperor Aurelian in the course of their war for domination of Egypt. And again, fortunately, the matter did not come to complete destruction, but valuable books were gone. The reason why Emperor Diocletian took up arms against the library is well known. He wanted to destroy the books that contained the secrets of making gold and silver, that is, all works on alchemy. If the Egyptians could produce as much gold and silver as they wanted, then, the emperor reasoned, they could arm a huge army and defeat the empire. The slave's grandson Diocletian was proclaimed emperor in 284. He seems to have been a born tyrant, and the last decree he signed before he abdicated on May 1, 305 ordered the destruction of Christianity. In Egypt, a major rebellion broke out against Diocletian, and in July 295 the emperor began the siege of Alexandria. He took Alexandria, however, according to legend, the emperor's horse, entering the conquered city, stumbled. Diocletian interpreted this incident as a sign from the gods commanding him to spare the city.

Emperor Diocletian, who destroyed alchemical manuscripts
After the capture of Alexandria, a frantic search began for alchemical manuscripts, and all found were destroyed. Perhaps they contained the main keys to alchemy, which are now lacking to comprehend this science. We do not have a list of the destroyed manuscripts, but legend ascribes some of them to Pythagoras, Solomon, and even Hermes Trismegistus himself. Although this, of course, should be treated with a certain degree of skepticism.
The library continued to exist. Despite the fact that it was ruined over and over again, the library continued to work until the Arabs completely destroyed it. And the Arabs knew what they were doing. They have already destroyed many secret works on magic, alchemy and astrology both in the Islamic empire itself and in Persia. The conquerors acted according to their motto: "No other books are needed except the Koran." In 646, the Library of Alexandria was set on fire by them. The following legend is known: Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab in 641 ordered the commander Amr ibn al-As to burn the Library of Alexandria, saying: "If these books say what is in the Koran, then they are useless."
The French writer Jacques Bergier said that books perished in that fire, possibly dating back to the pra-civilization that existed before the current, human one. The alchemical treatises perished, the study of which would have made it possible to actually achieve the transformation of the elements. Works on magic and evidence of the alien encounter that Berossus spoke of were destroyed. He believed that this whole series of pogroms could not be accidental. It could be carried out by an organization that Bergier conventionally calls "men in black." This organization exists for centuries and millennia and seeks to destroy knowledge of a certain kind. The few remaining manuscripts may still be intact, but are carefully guarded. secret societies from the world.
Of course, it may very well be that Bergier simply allowed himself to dream, but it is possible that behind all this there are some real, but hardly amenable to reasonable interpretation facts.

There is an opinion that our distant ancestors, for the most part, were ignorant and uneducated people. There were only a few smart ones among them, while the rest were content not with a craving for knowledge, but with incessant wars, the seizure of foreign territories, the abduction of women and endless feasts with a plentiful libation of alcoholic beverages and immense eating of fatty and fried foods. All this did not contribute to health, and therefore life expectancy was at a very low level.

A weighty argument that completely refutes such a judgment is, founded at the beginning of the 3rd century BC. e. It can be safely called the greatest storehouse of human wisdom, which has absorbed all the achievements of the civilization of previous eras. Tens of thousands of manuscripts written in Greek, Egyptian and Hebrew were kept within its walls.

All this priceless wealth naturally did not lie dead weight, flattering the vanity of its crowned owners. It was used for its intended purpose, that is, it served as a source of information for everyone. Any person striving for knowledge could easily get it by going under the cool vaults of spacious halls, in the walls of which special shelves were arranged. The parchment scrolls were stored on them, and the library employees carefully handed them over to numerous visitors.

Among the latter were people of different material wealth and religion. Everyone who wants to have full right absolutely free to get acquainted with the information that interested him. The Library of Alexandria has never been a means of profit, on the contrary, it was supported by the money of the reigning dynasty. Isn't this a vivid proof that our distant ancestors put knowledge no lower than feats on the battlefields and other similar actions of restless human nature.

An educated person, in those distant times, enjoyed great respect. He was treated with undisguised respect, and the advice was perceived as a guide to action. The names of the great philosophers of antiquity and now are on everyone’s lips, and their judgments evoke modern man genuine interest. For the sake of objectivity, it should be noted that many of these the greatest minds could not have taken place if there had not been the Library of Alexandria.

So to whom does humanity owe such a great masterpiece? First of all, Alexander the Great. His participation here is indirect, but if it were not for this great conqueror, then there would be no city of Alexandria. History, however, completely excludes subjunctive moods, but in this case you can deviate from the rule.

It was on the initiative of Alexander the Great that this city was founded in 332 BC. e. in the Nile Delta. It was named in honor of the invincible commander and laid the foundation for many similar Alexandrias in Asian lands. Those, during the reign of the great conqueror, built as many as seventy. All of them have sunk into the darkness of centuries, and the first Alexandria has remained and today is one of largest cities Egypt.

Alexander the Great died in 323 BC. e. His huge empire broke up into several separate states. They were led by the Diadochi, the comrades-in-arms of the great conqueror. All of them came from Greek lands and went a long way from Asia Minor to India.

The lands of Ancient Egypt went to the Diadochu Ptolemy Lag (367-283 BC). He founded a new state - Hellenistic Egypt with its capital in Alexandria and laid the foundation for the Ptolemaic dynasty. The dynasty lasted for 300 long years and ended with the death of Cleopatra (69-30 BC) - the daughter of Ptolemy XII. The romantic image of this amazing woman is still the subject of much controversy among historians and all those who are not indifferent to passionate love passions mixed with cold political calculation.

Ptolemy Lag gave his children an excellent education. Following the example of the Macedonian kings, who entrusted their children to the leading philosophers of that time, the newly-made ruler invited Demetrius of Folers (350-283 BC) and Straton the Physicist (340-268 BC) to Alexandria. These learned men were students of Theophrastus (370-287 BC). The same, in turn, studied with Plato and Aristotle and continued the work of the latter.

This matter was expressed in the philosophical school. She was called Lyceum, and her disciples were called Peripatetics. The lyceum had a library. She did not contain a large number manuscripts, but the very principle of organization and operation of such an institution was well known to both Demetrius of Folers and Straton the Physicist. It was from their suggestion that Ptolemy Lag got the idea to create a magnificent library in Alexandria.

For the sake of objectivity and historical accuracy, it should be noted that the idea concerned not only the library. The first Greek king of Egypt intended to create mouseion- museum. The library was considered as part of it - a necessary addition to the astronomical tower, botanical garden, anatomical rooms. It was supposed to store information for those who would be engaged in medicine, astronomy, mathematics and other sciences necessary for society.

The idea, of course, is brilliant, once again emphasizing the high intellectual and spiritual level people who lived in that distant era. But Ptolemy Lag was not destined to make his dreams come true. He died in 283 BC. e, without having carried out such a global and necessary project.

The royal throne was taken by his son Ptolemy II Philadelphus (309-246 BC). Already from the first year of his reign, he, in accordance with the will of his father, came to grips with both the foundation of the Library of Alexandria and the museum.

History, unfortunately, does not know when all this grandiose idea was brought to life. We do not know the exact date, the specific day, when the first visitors entered the spacious halls and picked up scrolls with priceless information. We don't even know the exact location of the Library of Alexandria and what it looked like.

It is only known for certain that the first custodian of this greatest public institution of antiquity was Zenodotus of Ephesus(325-260 BC). This respected ancient Greek philosopher came to Alexandria at the invitation of Ptolemy Lag. He also, like his colleagues, was engaged in raising the children of the first Greek king of Egypt and apparently made an indelible impression on those around him with his knowledge and outlook.

It was to him that Ptolemy II Philadelphus entrusted the solution of all organizational issues related to the library that had just begun to work. There were a lot of these questions. First and most important - evaluation of the authenticity and quality of manuscripts.

Papyrus scrolls, containing priceless information, were bought by the royal house from various people, in small libraries owned by private individuals or philosophical schools, and sometimes simply confiscated during customs inspection on ships anchoring in the port of Alexandria. True, such confiscation was always compensated by a monetary reward. Another thing is whether the amount paid corresponded to the true value of the manuscript.

Zenodotus of Ephesus was the chief arbiter in this delicate matter. He evaluated the historical and informational value of the documents submitted to him for consideration. If the manuscripts met the strict standards that the Library of Alexandria imposed, then they were immediately transferred into the hands of skilled craftsmen. The latter checked their condition, restored them, gave them the proper readable appearance, and after that the scrolls took their place on the shelves.

If, however, manuscripts with some inaccuracies, incorrect data fell into the hands of the Greek philosopher, then he marked the corresponding paragraphs with special signs. Subsequently, any reader, getting acquainted with this material, saw what can be trusted unconditionally, and what is subject to doubt and is not true and accurate information.

Sometimes the first custodian of the Library of Alexandria was also delivered an obvious fake, bought from unscrupulous people. There were many who wanted to cash in on the sale of scrolls at that time. This shows that over the past 25 centuries, human nature has changed little.

Also, Zenodotus of Ephesus was engaged in the classification of manuscripts. He divided them into various subjects so that librarians can easily find the material the reader needs. There were a great many topics: medicine, astronomy, mathematics, philosophy, biology, architecture, zoology, art, poetry and many, many others. All this was entered into special catalogs and provided with appropriate links.

The manuscripts were also divided by language. Almost 99% of all material was written in Egyptian and Greek. Very few scrolls were written in Hebrew and some other languages ​​of the Ancient World. Readers' preferences were also taken into account here, so some valuable materials written in a rare language were translated into Greek and Egyptian.

Much attention in the Library of Alexandria was also paid to the conditions of storage of priceless manuscripts.. The premises were thoroughly ventilated, the employees made sure that there was no dampness in them. Periodically, all the scrolls were checked for the presence of insects in them, while damaged documents were subjected to immediate restoration.

All this work was very difficult and time-consuming. There were a great many manuscripts. Various sources name different numbers. Most likely, there were at least 300,000 scrolls on the shelves in the halls and in the vault. This is a huge number, respectively, and the staff of the Library of Alexandria was a large team. All these people were kept at the expense of the royal treasury.

Under the arches of the Library of Alexandria

The Ptolemies spent 300 years absolutely free of charge on the maintenance of the museum and the library. From generation to generation, the Greek kings of Egypt not only did not lose interest in this brainchild, but, on the contrary, tried in every possible way to expand it and improve its work.

Under Ptolemy III Euergetes (282-222 BC), a branch of the Library of Alexandria appeared. It was founded at the temple of Serapis, the Babylonian god used by the Ptolemies as the highest deity, equal to Osiris (the king of the underworld among the ancient Egyptians). There were many such temples in the lands subordinate to the Greek dynasty. Each of them bore the same name - Serapeum.

It was in the Serapeum of Alexandria that the branch of the library was located. This once again emphasizes the importance of this public institution, since the Serapeums were given great political importance. Their function was to smooth out religious differences between the original inhabitants of these lands, the Egyptians and Greeks, who came to Ancient Egypt in large numbers for permanent residence after the Ptolemies came to power.

Under Ptolemy III, the Library of Alexandria, for 40 years, was led by a third custodian (the second custodian was Callimachus, a scientist and poet) - Eratosthenes of Cyrene(276-194 BC). This venerable man was a mathematician, an astronomer, a geographer. He was also fond of poetry and well versed in architecture. Contemporaries considered him not inferior in intelligence to Plato himself.

At the urgent request of the king, Eratosthenes of Cyrene arrived in Alexandria and plunged headlong into a diverse, interesting and complex work. Under him, it was completely translated from Hebrew into Greek language « Old Testament". This translation of the biblical commandments, which guide modern humanity, is called the Septuagint.

It was under this man that the "Astronomical Catalogue" appeared in the Library of Alexandria. It included the coordinates of over 1000 stars. There were also many works on mathematics, in which Eratosthenes was a great dock. All this further enriched the greatest public institution of the Ancient World.

Systematized, carefully selected sources of knowledge contributed to the fact that many educated people came to Alexandria, striving to improve and deepen their knowledge in various fields of science.

The ancient Greek mathematician Euclid (died 273 BC), Archimedes (287-212 BC), philosophers worked within the walls of the library: Plotinus (203-270 BC) - the founder of Neoplatonism, Chrysipus (279- 207 BC), Gelesius (322-278 BC) and many, many others. The Library of Alexandria was very popular among the doctors of Ancient Greece.

The point was that, according to the then existing laws, it was impossible to engage in surgical practice on the lands of the Balkan Peninsula. It was strictly forbidden to cut the human body. IN Ancient Egypt this question was viewed differently. The centuries-old history of the creation of mummies already in itself suggested the intervention of cutting tools. Without them, mummification would not have been possible. Accordingly, surgical operations were considered as an ordinary and familiar matter.

The Greek Aesculapius used every opportunity to leave for Alexandria and it was within the walls of the museion to improve their skills and get acquainted with the internal structure human body. Necessary theoretical material they drew within the walls of the Library of Alexandria. There was a huge amount of information here. All of it was set out on ancient Egyptian scrolls, carefully restored and sorted.

The case of Eratosthenes of Cyrene was continued by other guardians. Many of them were invited from the Greek lands as teachers for the crowned offspring.

It was an established practice. The custodian of the library was also the mentor of the next heir to the throne. From an early age, a child absorbed the very atmosphere, the spirit of the greatest public institution of antiquity. Growing up and gaining power, he already considered the Library of Alexandria as something dear and painfully close. The best childhood memories were associated with these walls, and therefore they were always cherished and cherished.

The sunset of the Library of Alexandria falls on recent decades I millennium BC uh. The increased influence of the Roman Republic, the struggle for power between Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII led to a serious political cataclysm. The intervention of the Roman general Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) helped Cleopatra in her desire for sole and undivided reign, but negatively affected cultural heritage great city.

By order of Julius Caesar, the navy was set on fire, speaking on the side of Ptolemy XIII. The fire began to mercilessly devour the ships. Tongues of flame spread to city buildings. Fires started in the city. They soon reached the walls of the Library of Alexandria.

People busy saving their lives and property did not come to the aid of those ministers who were trying to save for future generations the priceless information imprinted on the scrolls. The manuscripts of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides perished in the fire. The manuscripts of the ancient Egyptians, containing data on the origin of human civilization, have sunk into oblivion forever. The fire mercilessly devoured medical treatises, astronomical and geographical reference books.

Everything that had been collected with great difficulty throughout the Mediterranean for centuries, perished in a fire in a few hours. The three-century history of the Library of Alexandria is over. It was 48 BC. e.

Naturally, when the fire went out and passions subsided, people looked at what they had done and were horrified. Cleopatra, who received undivided power from the hands of Caesar, tried to restore the former greatness and pride of her ancestors. By her order, the library was rebuilt, but the soulless walls could not replace what was supposed to be stored behind them.

Another admirer of the queen, the Roman commander Mark Antony (83-30 BC), tried to help complete the library with new manuscripts. They were delivered from different places controlled by the Roman Republic, but these were far from the manuscripts on which the great philosophers of antiquity studied.

In 30 BC. e. Cleopatra committed suicide. With her death, the Ptolemaic dynasty ended. Alexandria became a Roman province, with all the ensuing consequences.

The Library of Alexandria continued to exist, but no one made serious financial injections into it. It lasted another three hundred years. The last mention of the library falls on the year 273. This is the time of the reign of the Roman emperor Aurelian (214-275), the crisis of the Roman Empire and the war with the Palmyra kingdom.

The latter was a province that had broken away from the empire and declared its independence. This new state formation very quickly gained strength under the queen Zenobia Septimius (240-274). The city of Alexandria ended up on the lands of this kingdom, so the wrath of the Roman emperor Aurelian was reflected in it.

Alexandria was taken by storm and burned. This time, nothing could save the Library of Alexandria. She died in the fire and ceased to exist forever. True, there is a version that even after this fire the library was partially restored, and it lasted another 120 years, finally sinking into oblivion only at the end of the 4th century.

Those were endless years civil wars and reign time last emperor unified Roman Empire Theodosius I (346-395). It was he who ordered the destruction of all pagan temples. The library was located in Alexandria at the Serapeum (Temple of Serapis). According to the order of the emperor, it was burned along with many other similar structures. The pitiful remnants of the once greatest fount of human knowledge have finally perished.

On this one could put an end to this sad story. Fortunately, although rarely, miracles do happen on earth. The Library of Alexandria was reborn like a phoenix from the ashes. This miracle happened in 2002 in the city of Alexandria.

Library
Alexandrina

The greatest building with the original architecture of glass, concrete and granite appeared before the eyes of the people. It is called "". Dozens of states took part in the construction of this building. Managed the work of UNESCO.

The revived library has huge areas, many reading rooms, storage facilities for 8 million books. The main reading room is located under a glass roof and is flooded with sun for most of the day.

Modern people paid tribute distant ancestors. They revived the great traditions buried under a pile of ashes almost 1000 years ago. This once again proves that human civilization is not degrading, but continues its spiritual growth. Let this process go slowly, but it is inevitable in the flow of time, and the craving for knowledge does not fade with generations, but continues to dominate human minds and makes us do such noble deeds.

The article was written by ridar-shakin

Based on materials from foreign publications

Ancient Egypt holds many secrets. One of them is the mystery of the disappeared Library of Alexandria, where the works of many famous thinkers of antiquity were collected. In total, the library contained more than half a million scrolls. It is believed that they all died in a fire about 2,000 years ago, during a grand fire. But the place where the building was located has not yet been found, so a number of researchers believe that some of the works could have been preserved.

The library, which was the concentration of knowledge for many generations, was located in the intellectual center ancient world Alexandria built by Alexander the Great. One of Alexander's generals, Ptolemy Soter, became the ruler of Egypt and made the city the capital of the state.

The library was founded in 295 BC. Its purpose was to compete with the Athenian library and collect under its roof copies of all famous books peace. According to historical sources, collect unique collection manuscripts succeeded under King Ptolemy II.

More than a hundred scientists worked on the collection, translation, copying of books by both Greek authors and the works of Egyptian, Syrian, Persian writers. The library contained religious folios, Buddhist and Hebrew texts. Ptolemy III decided, by all means, to collect the most large collection literary works in the world, and therefore every ship that entered the Alexandrian harbor had to hand over the books on board for making copies. At the same time, the copies themselves were given to the rightful owners, and the originals remained in the library.

Over time, the library building was completed and expanded, since a lot of space was required to store half a million manuscripts. Already during the reign of Ptolemy II, a subsidiary library was created in the southeastern part of Alexandria. It contained copies of some of the books in the main library.

The information that the library, which contained the largest number of books in the world, burned down completely, is now being questioned by many scientists. But, nevertheless, she disappeared without a trace. It is generally accepted that the fire that destroyed the library broke out through the fault of Julius Caesar, who ordered the Egyptian ships to be set on fire during the Battle of Alexandria. The fire spread to nearby buildings, including the library. The Roman philosopher Seneca, describing the tragedy that occurred, indicated that 40,000 scrolls perished in the fire. At the same time, the Greek historian Plutarch wrote that absolutely all folios were irretrievably lost. Researchers agree that it was not the library itself that perished in the fire, but the repository in which the manuscripts were located.

For some historical information, the library existed until the moment when Alexandria in 640 AD. captured by the Arabs. They are believed to have burned priceless books, using them as fuel.

Perhaps some of the manuscripts were saved, and someday they will be discovered in the sands of Egypt.