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 an abundant libation of alcohol and immense eating of fatty and fried foods. All this did not contribute to health, therefore, life expectancy was at a very low level.
A weighty argument that completely refutes this judgment is the Library of Alexandria, 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 civilization of previous eras. Within its walls were kept tens of thousands of manuscripts written in Greek, Egyptian and Hebrew.
All this priceless wealth naturally did not lie dead weight, amusing the pride of its crowned owners. It was used for its intended purpose, that is, it served as a source of information for everyone. Anyone striving for knowledge could easily get it by going under the cool vaults of the spacious halls, within the walls of which special shelves were arranged. The parchment scrolls were kept on them, and the library employees carefully handed them over to numerous visitors.
Among the latter were people of different material wealth and religions. Everyone had the full right to get acquainted with the information that interested him absolutely free of charge. The Library of Alexandria was never a means of profit, on the contrary, it was supported by the money of the reigning dynasty. Doesn't this serve as a vivid proof that our distant ancestors put knowledge no lower than exploits 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 advice was perceived as a guide to action. The names of the great philosophers of antiquity are still on everyone's lips, and their judgments arouse genuine interest in modern people. For objectivity's sake, it should be noted: many of these greatest minds could not have taken place if it were not for the Library of Alexandria.
So to whom does humanity owe such a great masterpiece? First of all, to 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 really 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 Alexandria in the Asian lands. Such, 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 remained and today is one of the largest cities in Egypt.
Alexander the Great died in 323 BC. e. His vast empire split into several separate states. They were led by the diadochi - the comrades-in-arms of the great conqueror. All of them came from the Greek lands and passed a long military path from Asia Minor to India.
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The lands of Ancient Egypt went to the diadochus 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 existed for a long 300 years and ended with the death of Cleopatra (69-30 BC) - the daughter of Ptolemy XII. The romantic image of this striking woman is still the subject of much controversy among historians and all those who are partial to ardent love passions mixed with cold political calculations.
Ptolemy Lag gave his children an excellent education. Following the example of the Macedonian kings, who entrusted their children to the leading philosophers of the time, the newly-made ruler invited Demetrius of Foller (350-283 BC) and Strato Physicist (340-268 BC) to Alexandria. These learned men were the disciples of Theophrastus (370-287 BC). The same, in turn, learned from Plato and Aristotle and continued the work of the latter.
This matter was expressed in the philosophical school. She was called a face, and her students were called peripatetics. There was a library in the lyceum. It did not contain a large number of manuscripts, but the very principle of the organization and work of such an institution was well known to both Demetrius Foller and Strato the Physicist. It was with their submission that Ptolemy Lag came up with the idea to create a magnificent library in Alexandria.
For the sake of objectivity and historical accuracy, it should be noted that the idea was not only about the library. The first Greek king of Egypt planned to create a museion - a museum. The library was viewed as part of it - a necessary addition to the astronomical tower, botanical garden, anatomical cabinets. It was supposed to store information for those who would be engaged in medicine, astronomy, mathematics and other sciences necessary for society.
Ptolemy Lag.
The idea is certainly brilliant, once again emphasizing the high intellectual and spiritual level of 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, never having implemented 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, in accordance with the will of his father, he came to grips with both the foundation of the Library of Alexandria and the Musayon.
Unfortunately, history does not know when this whole 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 the scrolls with invaluable information. We do not even know the exact place where the Library of Alexandria was located, 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 Lagus. He also, like his colleagues, was involved 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 great many of these questions. First and foremost is the assessment of the authenticity and quality of manuscripts.
The papyrus scrolls, containing invaluable information, were bought by the reigning house from various people, in small libraries owned by private individuals or schools of philosophy, and sometimes they were simply confiscated during customs inspection on ships dropping their anchors in the port of Alexandria. True, such a confiscation has always been compensated by a monetary reward. It is another matter whether the amount paid corresponded to the original cost of the manuscript.
Zenodotus of Ephesus was the main arbiter in this sensitive issue. He assessed the historical and informational value of the documents submitted to him for consideration. If the manuscripts met the exacting standards of the Library of Alexandria, then they were immediately transferred into the hands of skilled craftsmen. The latter checked their condition, restored, gave them a 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 a Greek philosopher, then he marked the corresponding paragraphs with special signs. Subsequently, any reader, getting acquainted with this material, saw what can be believed unconditionally, and what is in doubt and is not true and accurate information.
Sometimes the first curator of the Library of Alexandria was 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 different topics so that library employees could easily find the material needed by the reader. There were a great variety of topics: medicine, astronomy, mathematics, philosophy, biology, architecture, zoology, art, poetry and many, many others. All this was entered into special catalogs and supplied 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. It also took into account the biases of the readers, so some valuable materials written in a rare language were translated into Greek and Egyptian.
Much attention was paid to the storage conditions of priceless manuscripts in the Library of Alexandria. The premises were thoroughly ventilated, the employees made sure that there was no dampness in them. All the scrolls were periodically checked for the presence of insects, while the damaged documents were immediately restored.
All this work was very difficult and time consuming. There were a great many manuscripts. Different sources give different numbers. Most likely the scrolls were lying on the shelves in the halls and in the storage of at least 300 thousand. This is a huge number, and accordingly the staff of the Alexandria Library was a large team. All these people were supported by the royal treasury.
The Ptolemies spent huge sums of money for the maintenance of the museum and the library for 300 years absolutely free of charge. From generation to generation, the Greek kings of Egypt not only did not cool with this brainchild, but, on the contrary, tried in every possible way to expand it and improve its work.
Under Ptolemy III Evergetes (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 a supreme deity, equal to Osiris (the king of the afterlife among the ancient Egyptians). There were many such temples in the lands under the jurisdiction of the Greek dynasty. Each of them bore the same name - Serapeum.
It is in the Alexandria Serapeum that the branch of the library is located. This once again emphasizes the importance of this public institution, since the Serapeums were given enormous political significance. Their function was to smooth out religious differences between the original inhabitants of these lands, the Egyptians and Greeks, who in large numbers came to Ancient Egypt for permanent residence after the Ptolemies came to power.
Under Ptolemy III, the Library of Alexandria, for 40 years, was headed by a third curator (the second curator of Callimachus was a scientist and poet) - Eratosthenes of Cyrene (276-194 BC). This venerable husband was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer. He was also fond of poetry and was well versed in architecture. Contemporaries considered him not inferior in intelligence to Plato himself.
At the insistent request of the king, Eratosthenes of Cyrene arrived in Alexandria and plunged headlong into a varied, interesting and complex work. Under him the Old Testament was completely translated from Hebrew into Greek. This translation of the biblical commandments, which is also guided by modern mankind, is called the "Septuagint".
It was with this man that the "Astronomical Catalog" appeared in the Alexandria Library. It included the coordinates of more than 1000 stars. There also appeared 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, seeking to improve and deepen their knowledge in various fields of science.
Within the walls of the library worked the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid (died 273 BC), Archimedes (287-212 BC), philosophers: 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 practice surgical practice on the lands of the Balkan Peninsula. Cutting the human body was strictly prohibited. In ancient Egypt, this issue was looked at in a completely different way. The centuries-old history of the creation of mummies in itself presupposed the intervention of cutting tools. Without them, mummification would not have been possible. Correspondingly, surgical operations were considered as a common and common thing.
The Greek Aesculapians used every opportunity to leave for Alexandria and it was within the walls of the musayon to improve their skills and get acquainted with the internal structure of the human body. They drew the necessary theoretical material from the walls of the Alexandria Library. There was a wealth 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 keepers. Many of them were invited from the Greek lands as teachers for the crowned offspring.
It was an established practice. The library keeper was also the mentor of the next heir to the throne. A child from an early age 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 groomed and cherished.
The decline of the Alexandria Library falls on the last decades of the 1st millennium BC. e. 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 commander Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) helped Cleopatra in her quest for one-man and undivided reign, but negatively affected the cultural heritage of the great city.
By order of Julius Caesar, the navy was set on fire, which took the side of Ptolemy XIII. The fire began to devour ships mercilessly. Flames spread to city buildings. Fires started in the city. They soon reached the walls of the Alexandria Library.
People busy with saving their lives and property did not come to the aid of those ministers who were trying to save the invaluable information on the scrolls for future generations. The manuscripts of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides perished in the fire. The manuscripts of the ancient Egyptians, containing data on the origin of human civilization, have forever sunk into eternity. The fire mercilessly devoured medical treatises, astronomical and geographical reference books.
Everything that had been collected with great difficulty throughout the Mediterranean for centuries was destroyed in the 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 died out and the passions subsided, people examined 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 military leader Mark Anthony (83-30 BC), tried to help fill the library with new manuscripts. They were brought from different places controlled by the Roman Republic, but these were far from the same manuscripts that the great philosophers of antiquity studied on.
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 any serious investments in it. It lasted for 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 Palmyrian kingdom.
The latter was a breakaway province from the empire, which declared its independence. This new state formation very quickly gained strength under Queen Zenobia Septimius (240-274). The city of Alexandria ended up on the lands of this kingdom, so the anger of the Roman emperor Aurelian was reflected on it.
Alexandria was taken by storm and burned. This time, nothing could save the Alexandria Library. She died in the fire and ceased to exist forever. There is a true version that after this fire the library was partially restored, and it existed for another 120 years, finally sinking into oblivion only at the end of the 4th century.
These were the years of endless civil wars and the reign of the last emperor of the united Roman Empire, Theodosius I (346-395). It was he who gave the order for 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 burnt among many other similar structures. Finally, the pitiful remnants of the once great storehouse of human knowledge also perished.
On this one could put an end to this sad story. Fortunately, though rare, miracles 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 eyes of the people saw the greatest building with original architecture made of glass, concrete and granite. It is called "Library Alexandrina". Dozens of states took part in the construction of this building. Supervised 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 bathed in sun for most of the day.
Modern people paid tribute to their distant ancestors. They have revived the great traditions buried under a heap of ash almost 1000 years ago. This proves once again that human civilization does not degrade, 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 away with generations, but continues to dominate human minds and makes us do such noble deeds.
Author: ridar-shakin