The Library of Alexandria

The Library of Alexandria was an ancient library founded in Egypt during the reign of Ptolemy II between 285 - 246 BC. This ancient wonder held a vast amount of texts from famed authors and poets such as Homer, Apollonius of Rhodes (author of the only surviving Hellenistic epic poem, about Jason and the Argonauts), and Eratosthenes of Cyrene (scholar that figured out the world’s circumference). Unlike many libraries at the time, the Library of Alexandria held many writings and records of other cultures preserving ancient legacy, rather than focusing on their own culture. Because of this, it was one of the most remarkable libraries of the ancient world. 

Despite common belief, the Library of Alexandria was not intentionally destroyed. A popular theory of its downfall is that it was burned by the infamous Julius Caesar. When fighting abroad in Egypt, Caesar ordered his troops to burn the Egyptian fleets in the harbor. The fire became out of hand and spread to local houses, warehouses, and eventually the library. However, several sources reference the library after that date, so it is more likely that it was merely damaged rather than totally destroyed at that time. Later, it fell into disuse and gradually decayed.

It is hard to fully understand the amount of knowledge we do not have today due to the loss of the Library of Alexandria. What would you rather believe: that one man intentionally took the library and its information from the modern world, or that a neglecting society simply failed to maintain it?