The Great Library - Part Two

[@logans.butler285]

I've been waiting for this…

[@Wallyworld30]

I always thought the Museum was burned by Caesar and that was the end of it. I didn't know the Romans helped rebuild it. I also never heard of the Christians burning it.

[@historyforatheists9363]

The Romans didn’t “rebuild it”. As I say, Caesar’s fire seems to have severely damaged the collection by burning books stored outside the Museion in warehouses around the docks. The Museion continued, though its collection was smaller.

[@cornucopiaofthings]

If you include European and Arabic sources, pretty much everyone had a crack at the library at one point or another. Many Shia'tu Ali swear that Umar destroyed it, but they have every reason to blame the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaat, and the Sunni themselves, have every reason to blame the Christians and Roman Greeks who came before them. And Caesar's enemies, also had every reason to blame him, and vilify his involvement in Ptolemaic internal affaris. (Though I would argue this was not Caesars fault, he was not responsible for Ptolemaic dependence on Roman mercenaries, their lack of a real military, or their enormous debt to Rome.) The Ptolemies had a collapsing cleruchy system, not unlike Rome, and they had lost their Macedonian organization, and the Greek population to draw on for recruitment, was limited. If Caesar had not gone to mediate, some other Roman would've, and already were, prior to his arrival. We want to blame someone for this great historic loss, right? But the reality is that libraries don't last forever, and its no one person or group's fault. Something changes hands so many times, there's a risk of it being damaged, every time. Hell, I had a hard time getting my work to class in my backpack, without wrinkling or damaging it as a kid. And that only changed hands to my teacher.

[@carmeloterranova517]

Great video Tim. A question just out of curiosity: was the Royal Quarter and the Serapeum in the "range" of the tsunami wave of 365 (two miles inland)?

[@historyforatheists9363]

Very much so. The Royal Quarter was in the Upper City - closest to the harbour. it would have been totally inundated.

[@JackR1PP3R]

Hey Tim, im a reader of your articles, because a great part of historical lies that you debunk are very common in Brazil, so intend to translate some of your articles (Hypatia, Pagan Christmas, Black Death due to cat genocide etc.) to my medium account (of course, intend to show that a translation of your blog in the final lines of the texts). Could you allow me to translate and slightly adapt your articles?

[@historyforatheists9363]

No problem, so long as you give the attribution to me and link to my original articles.

[@HeroQuestFans]

love the new art on the website, is that a custom job?

[@historyforatheists9363]

Yes.

[@mirality2464]

"Ubiquitos Richard Carrier" 😊😎😊