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Volume 1 Issue 4 October 2006
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Some attribute the burning of the historical Bibliotheca Alexandrina to Julius Caesar (100-44 BC). One of the most important foundations of this claim is what Caesar himself wrote in his book Alexandrian Wars that the fires his soldiers had set to burn the Egyptian navy in the port of Alexandria went as far as burning a store full of papyri and located near the port. However, the geographical study of the location of the historical Bibliotheca Alexandrina in the neighborhood of Bruchion suggests that this store cannot be the Library.
Furthermore, the claim that Julius Caesar burned the Library of Alexandria can be easily refuted as one refers to the book of Geography written by Strabo. This latter had visited Alexandria in 25 BC and his book uses books located at this time in the Library of Alexandria as sources and references, which suggests that Bibliotheca existed at this point in time. In addition, Cicero the most famous of all historians of the Roman Empire, and who was well known for his hatred of Julius Caesar, never mentioned in his most renowned book Philippics that Caesar burned the Library. This in itself constitutes one more proof of Caesar’s innocence of this accusation.
On the other hand, some historians agree that it was indeed Julius Caesar who burned the Bibliotheca. One of these historians is Plutarch, who mentioned in his book Life of Caesar, written towards the end of the first century AD, that the Library of Alexandria was in fact destroyed because of the fire that Caesar had set to burn the Egyptian navy in the Alexandrian harbor. Furthermore, in the second century AD, the Roman historian Aulus Gellius wrote in his book Attic Nights that the Royal Alexandrian Library was burned by mistake when some Roman soldiers of Caesar’s troops set some fire. Finally, in the fourth century AD, both the pagan historian Ammianus Marcellinus and the Christian historian Orosius agree that the Bibliotheca Alexandrina was destroyed by mistake following the fire that Caesar had begun. However, it is most probable here that these historians confused the two Greek words bibliothekas, which means “set of books” with bibliotheka, which means Library. As a result, they thought that was had been recorded earlier concerning the burning of some books stored near the port was the burning of the famous Alexandrian Library.
Attempting to reconcile what has been said by the Roman historians mentioned above, it is most probable that the Royal Alexandrian Library was burned after Strabo’s visit to the city (25 BC) yet before the beginning of the second century AD; otherwise these historians would not have mentioned the incident and mistakenly attributed it to Julius Caesar. It is also most probable that the Library was destroyed by someone other than Caesar, although the later generations linked the fire that took place in Alexandria during Caesar’s time to the burning of the Bibliotheca.
However, it is known that the Royal Alexandrian Library, or the Museum as it was called for including the original versions of the world’s most renowned books, was not the only library located in the city. There were at least two other libraries in Alexandria: the library of the Serapeum Temple and the library of the Cesarion Temple. The continuity of the literal and scientific life in Alexandria after the destruction of the Royal Library, as well as the flourishing of the city as the world’s center for sciences and literature between the first and the sixth centuries AD, depended to a large extent on the presence of these two libraries and what the books and references they contained. Thus, while it is historically recorded that the Royal Library was a private one for the royal family as well as for scientists and researchers, the libraries of the Serapeum and Cesarion temples were public libraries accessible to the people.
Furthermore, while the Royal Library was founded by Ptolemy II Philadelphus in the royal quarters of Bruchion near the palaces and the royal gardens, it was his son Ptolemy III who founded the Serapeum temple and its adjoined library in the popular quarters of Rhakotis. Later, the Serapeum library became known as the Daughter Library, because it contained copies of the original versions found in the Royal Library.
Subsequent to the burning of the Royal Library, the Serapeum library, which was larger than that of the Cesarion, became the city’s main library. The first historical reference to this library is found in the book The Apology by the Christian writer Tertullian (155-230 AD). In this book, Tertullian mentions that the library of the Ptolemies is conserved in the library of the Serapeum, and that among its contents was a copy of the Old Testament that the Alexandrian Jews went to the library to hear it recited. Therefore, if we take the “library of the Ptolemies” to be the Royal Library, one could conclude that the original versions that were saved from the Alexandrian Royal Library were moved to the library of the Serapeum to join the already existing copies of that Daughter Library.
This analysis is in fact supported by the Letter of Aristeas (an Alexandrian Jewish writer) that dates back to the end of the first century AD and which states that the manuscripts of the Royal Library were moved to the library of the Serapeum. Finally, in 379 AD, Saint John Chrysostom refers to the library of the Serapeum in his speech to the Antiochians, stating that it contained the original version of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) that Ptolemy II Philadelphus had ordered it to be translated from Hebrew to Greek.
In the year 391 AD, some of Alexandria’s Christians were encouraged by Pope Theophilus of Alexandria to destroy the pagan temple of the Serapeum and to build a church over its ruins. Yet, the destruction of the Serapeum did not affect its attached library, most probably because it included many original versions of Christian and Jewish books, in addition to other scientific books that were of equal interest to both pagan and Christian scholars. Thus, until the end of the sixth century AD, one finds many historical references to the existence of the Serapeum library in Alexandria. One of these references is the Alexandrian philosopher Ammonius’ description of this library and the books it contained, such as two copies of Aristotle’s the Categories.
When the Arab armies invaded Alexandria under the command of Amr Ibn Al Aas in December 22nd 640 AD, they destroyed Alexandria’s walls and looted the city. Then Ibn Al Aas made the acquaintance of an old Christian theologian with the name of John Philoponus (also known as John Grammaticus). Philoponus, who is the disciple of the Alexandrian philosopher Ammonius mentioned above, is known to the Arabs as Yehia Al Nahawi. His writings were in fact of great value in the transfer of Greek culture to the Arabs.
After many religious discussions between Philoponus and Ibn Al Aas concerning Christ’s divine nature and the Trinity, Philoponus asked Ibn Al Aas to preserve the books found in the Library of Alexandria since “as opposed to the city’s stores, palaces and gardens, these books are of no use to Amr and his men.” Surprised, Ibn Al Aas inquired about the origin of these books and their benefit. Then John Philoponus began to narrate the story of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina since its foundation by Ptolemy II Philadelphus.
Nevertheless, Amr Ibn Al Aas answered him saying that he could not act on this issue without asking the Caliph Omar Ibn Al Khattab. Ibn Al Aas then wrote to Ibn Al Khattab asking for his advice about the library and its books. And while Ibn Al Aas and Philoponus were awaiting the Caliph’s reply, the former gave the latter the permission to visit the library accompanied by Philoponus’ Jewish disciple, Philaretes the physician (Philaretes is the author of a medical book about pulse, a book that is wrongly attributed to John Philoponus).
Some days later, the answer of the Caliph Omar Ibn Al Khattab arrived. Amr Ibn Al Aas read the reply and translated it to Philoponus and Philaretes: “[…] concerning the books that you have mentioned, if they contain things in accordance to Allah’s Book [the Koran] then Allah’s Book is enough. And if they contain things that contradict what is found in Allah’s Book, then we do not need them.” Ibn Al Aas subsequently ordered the books to be distributed to Alexandria’s baths to be used to light their warming fires.
In his book History of the Wise Men, the Muslim historian Al Qifti mentions that the burning of these books continued for almost six months, and that the only books that were spared were some of Aristotle’s books, in addition to some of the writings of Euclid the mathematician and Ptolemy the geographer.
The story of burning the Serapeum’s library on the hands of the Arabs is further supported by the testimonies of many Arab and Muslim historians such as the father of Egyptian historians Al Makrizi in his Sermons and Lessons in the Mention of Plans and Monuments, Ibn Al Nadim’s The Index, and Georgy Zeidan’s History of Islamic Urbanization.
Furthermore, in his book Prolegomena, the Muslim historian Ibn Khaldun supports the story of the burning of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina by the Arabs in light of the Arabs’ behavior towards books in that era, such as throwing the Persians’ books in water and fire by the Arab leader Saad Ibn Abi Waqqas following the order of the Caliph Omar Ibn Al Khattab who told Ibn Abi Waqqas in a letter: “If these [books] included guidance, [know that] Allah has given us a better guidance. And If they contained deviation then may Allah protect us.”
References:
1. Ammianus Marcellinus, XXII
2. Aristeas, Letter
3. Aulus Gellius, VII
4. Caesar, Alexandrian War
5. Canfora, The Vanished Library
6. Cicero, Ad Atticum
7. Gibbon, Decline and Fall, III
8. Lucan, The Civil Wars
9. Orosius, VI
10. Plutarch, Life of Caesar
11. Strabo, XVII
12. Tertullian, Apologetics
13. Vrettos, Alexandria City of the Western Mind
14. Al Qifti, History of Wise Men جمال الدين أبو الØسن ابراهيم القÙطي، تراجم الØكماء
15. Al Makrizi, Sermons and Lessons in the Mention of Plans and Monuments تقي الدين Ø£Øمد بن علي المقريزي، المواعظ والاعتبار ÙÙŠ ذكر الخطط والآثار
16. Ibn Al Nadim, The Index أبو الÙرج Ù…Øمد بن اسØÙ‚ بن Ù…Øمد اسØÙ‚ ابن النديم، الÙهرس
17. Georgy Zeidan, History of Islamic Urbanization جورجي زيدان، تاريخ التمدن الإسلامي
18. Ibn Khaldun, Prolegomena عبد الرØمن ابن خلدون، مقدمة ابن خلدون
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Egypeter
said:
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This is a hotly debated topic that many muslims vehemently deny. You do an excellent job in proving your point. When one looks at the consistent historical tendencies of Islam, as an invading army, I'm not really sure why more intellectuals recognize who destroyed the Library of Alexandria. If I had to guess between Julius Ceasar (who revered Egypt's knowledge), the Copts, or the invading Arabs, who had no regard for the Egyptians as to who destroyed the Library...well, my money is on the Arabs. What a shame! |
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