Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Contents
I II III First dreams Rise Decline and destruction
I First dreams
Libraries before Alexandria Temples archives Schools of philosophy Platos Academy Aristotles Lyceum (300 scrolls each) A challenge for King Ptolemy of Egypt
Demetrius of Phaleron
Early years Student of Theophrastus (and Aristotle ?) 323 Death of Alexander 319 Democratic party controls Athens Takes refuge at the court of Cassander 317-307 epimelets of Athens 307 Conquest of Athens by Demetrius Poliorcetes 307-297 At Thebes till the death of Cassander 297- ar. 283 At Alexandria with kings Ptolemy I and II
The setting
Museum : Built by Ptolemy I Scientific community organized by Ptol. Philadelphus ar. 280 BC
Serapeum : Built by Ptolemy III ar. 230 BC Caesarium : Built by Cleopatra VII ar. 40 BC
Number of volumes
Museum Scholia mss of Plautus Ammianus M. Epiphanius Eusebius, Fl. Jos. and Aristeas 490,000 54,800 200,000 > 500,000 7[0]0,000 Serapeum 42,800 70,000 -
40,000 ?
II Rise
Three outstanding scholars Zenodotus Callimachus Eratosthenes
Characteristics of his erudition: Scholarship deprived of any direct observation Concern for the detail at the expenses of synthesis Desire for getting a complete recollection of data
B) Theodosius decree
In 391 the Imperator Theodosius ordered the destruction off all pagan temples Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria executed that order (Socrates of Constantinople )
D) Caesars conquest in 48 BC
4th c. : Ammianus and Orosius 2nd c. : Dio, Plutarch and Aulus Gellius Caesar burnt the library down in 48 BC Criticism: a) Accounts made long time after events b) Silence of more ancient historians c) Proofs of library activity after the 1st c. BC)
Strabo 17, 1, 8
The Museum is also a part of the royal palaces; it has a public walk, an Exedra with seats, and a large house in which is the common mess-hall of the men of learning who share the Museum. This group of men not only hold property in common, but also have a priest in charge of the Museum, who formerly was appointed by the kings, but is now appointed by Caesar.
Strabo, 17,1,10
Strabo mentions the Serapeion and other sacred precincts of ancient times as monuments which somehow had stopped being in use (ekleleimna ps).
Strabo 17,1,5
Two writers of his time, Eudorus and Ariston, talk about the rising of the Nilus in summer. The contents of the books of these two authors are virtually the same, even from the point of view of the style. Eudorus accuses Ariston of copying.
Strabo 17,1,5
Being in want of copies [of those two books] in order to make a comparison, I compared one author [his work on the Nilus] to the other one [his other works]. But which of the two men is the one who copied the others work might be discovered at Ammons temple [Luxor]: Eudorus accused Ariston; the style [of the book of Eudorus], however is rather aristonian.
Assesment of data
1) Accounts of the librarys burning in 48 BC 2) Museum activity after 48 BC 3) Presence of books in Alexandria after 48 BC 4) Assesment of Canforas theory
Canforas theory
Based upon the figure given by Seneca (40 000 volumes destroyed) and the account of Cassius Dio (apothkai tn bibln), thinks that only some storerooms containing books for exportation were destroyed. The collected data do not allow us to sustain the theory of Cnfora.
Conclusion
Burning of the librarys Museum during the first Alexandrian war Partial replacement of lost books (under Domitian? In the Serapeion?) Use of the Serapeion as a replacement library from the first c. AD until 200 (cf. Epiphanius and Tertullian accounts about Bible translations deposited there) Activity in the Museum until 200