How much information was lost in the Library of Alexandria?

The first-century AD Roman playwright and Stoic philosopher Seneca the Younger quotes Livy’s Ab Urbe Condita Libri, which was written between 63 and 14 BC, as saying that the fire started by Caesar destroyed 40,000 scrolls from the Library of Alexandria.

How bad was the burning of the Library of Alexandria?

Archaeologists and historians still dispute the library’s demise and who is truly to blame for the destruction of such a wealth of knowledge. However, there is no dispute that the destruction of the Library of Alexandria significantly damaged our understanding of ancient civilizations.

Has the Library of Alexandria been found?

Archaeologists have found what they believe to be the site of the Library of Alexandria, often described as the world’s first major seat of learning. A Polish-Egyptian team has excavated parts of the Bruchion region of the Mediterranean city and discovered what look like lecture halls or auditoria.

What did we lose with the Alexandrian Library?

The same Ptolemy issued the order that all ships arriving to Alexandria must be inspected and searched for books. All books found must be confiscated, and copies made and given to the owners:-) So we really lost a lot with the Alexandrian library.

What are some of the most important ancient Greek works lost?

Few first class works survived, like Euclid, Apollonius and Archimedes, but there is a lot of evidence that this is just the tip of the iceberg. For example, almost all writings of Hipparchus, “the father of astronomy” are lost. We know about them from the account of C. Ptolemy who lived 3 centuries later.

What happened to the Great Library in ancient Egypt?

The fire spread and destroyed the Egyptian fleet. Unfortunately, it also burned down part of the city – the area where the great Library stood. Caesar wrote of starting the fire in the harbor but neglected to mention the burning of the Library.

What if we didn’t burn libraries in antiquity?

If it were not for burning libraries in antiquity, mankind’s history would not have so many missing pages. The famous collection of Pisistratus (6th century BC) in Athens was ravaged, the papyri of the library of the Temple of Ptah in Memphis were totally destroyed.