Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-02-11

most celebrated Of its time. Men of
science and students came from all
parts Of the known world to this great
institution to study.
Under the enlightening reign Of
Ptolemy, Philadelphus, the library in
creased. He sent into every part OF
Greece and Asia to secure the most
valuable wa.ks and no eXertion or
expense were spared III enriching the
library.
If, indeed, we are to trust Strabo
entirely, we must believe that Arts
totle wa sthe first person who col
leted library, and communicated the
taste for collecting books to the SOW
ereign of Egypt.
In the reign of Ptolemy Philade
plus, Ptolemy Softer had already be-
gun to collect books. During Ptole-
my Philadelphus's reign, the libraries
were properly organized and estab-
lished in separate buildings. The IL
brary of Nelens as told by the Athe-
naens, was pur hased by Ptolemy
Philadephus.
Ptolemy Energetes, the successor
of Ptolemy Philadelphus, is said to
have caused all books to be broug ht
into Egypt. BY a legal authority,
the owners of all valuable books had
to sacrifice them for all the benefit
Of the library and the owners had to
be contented with receiving copies
of them in exchange,
Out of this magnificent library
many languages such rs Hebrew and
the treasurers Of Egypt were by this
means translated into Greek. The
Bible, one of the greatest books of
tie world, was translated. There
were also many great books on med
icine and science.
The library was in two buildings.
The largest was in the Brucherum
quarter, which was kept in connection
with the museum, a sort Of an acade
my: while the smaller one was placed
in the Serapeum. The number Of vol
umes in these libraries were very
large. Eratasthenes, one of the old
faithful librarians, sta;er it to be for
ty-two thousand and eight hundred
volumes or rolls in the Serapeum and
four hundred and ninety thousand vol
umes in the Brucheum. This is quite
large number, but if they were writ
ten today there would not be quite
so many. because in those days each
mart Of the book was called volume.
Thus the Iliad, which now makes one
volume, in those days contained tWen-
ty-fcdr volumes.
The GREAT library was destroyed
three times.
In the harbor Of Alexandria a feet
lay anchored, and Caesar, in pas
sion of anger, set fire to the fleet The
ieaping tongues Of flame were fed
bountifully with the largest library,
the Brucheum.
Caesar was a man who had great
mind and if he had known what harm
he was doing to the future genera
tons foundation Of learning, he
would have thought first before he
acted
Mark Anthony tried to replace the
great loss bv presenting to Cleopatra,
the queen of Egypt. the library from
Pcrgamus. The library was flourish
ing for four centuries until the Ser
aperm was destroyed by the COM
mand of the Emperor Theodosius.
This great treasure of Alexandria
was again reestablished.
In GAO A. D. terrible deed was
committed by the barbarous Arabs,
who conquered the city of Alexandria.
As the story is told the Arab raliph,
Oma", when asked to preserve the Ii
brary, made this reply only, ''If these
writings of the Greeks agree with the
Koran. they are useless and need not
be preservpd; if they disagree. they
are pernicious and ought to be de-
stroyed." So this great precious
treasure was used to heat tho four
thousand baths of the city. and barely
siv months were sufficient to use up
tho precious fuel.
In that wonderful some library,
the treasures and the jewels of the
worlds KNOWLEDGE law upon those
shelves only to be fed to the yellow
flames.
o! if those poor unlearned minds
could have been as broad minded and
far seeing as ours, | know that they
would have preserved the library be-
:ore anything else.
Let us wander back through the
pages of history, to see what our fore
fathers had to contend with. But
they have fought good fight; we
can see that by looking at our own
dear United States.
Let us show the world that we APP
pre-: late them in giving up their lives;
by studying and reading every book
carefully in our libraries.
We must leave this wonderful Ii
brary in ruins. But let US profit by
IL -. - l.
most wonderful libraries and studying
them. so that the progress of the
world may not be halted, but may go
on.
SARAH Y. NICkLIN.