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MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS AGO, THE
WISDOM OF CENTURIES WENT UP IN
SMOKE.
THIS DISASTER DESERVES THE TITLE
"THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN
THE HISTORY OF HUMAN CULTURE."
47 YEARS BEFORE THE BIRTH OF
CHRIST, MOST OF THE WORLD'S
RECORDED KNOWLEDGE WAS GATHERED
IN ONE PLACE: THE CITY OF
ALEXANDRIA ON THE MEDITERRANEAN
COAST OF EGYPT.
THE GREAT LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA
WAS WORLD FAMOUS AS A NUCLEUS
FOR SCIENCE AND LITERATURE.
BUILT IN THE THIRD CENTURY B.C.,
THE LIBRARY HAD A MOST
ASTONISHING GOAL: TO POSSESS A
COPY OF EVERY WRITTEN WORK KNOWN
TO MAN.
ITS COLLECTION EVENTUALLY GREW
TO MORE THAN 700,000 SCROLLS.
BUT THE LIBRARY WAS ALSO A
THINK TANK AND RESEARCH CENTER
THAT ATTRACTED THE BEST MINDS OF
THE DAY--
PEOPLE LIKE ARISTARCHUS, WHO
DETERMINED THAT THE EARTRTH
REVOLVED AROUND THE SUN, 1,800
YEARS BEFORE COPERNICUS
AND HERO, THE INVENTOR WHO
CREATED A WORKING MODEL OF A
STEAM ENGINE NEARLY TWO
MILLENNIA BEFORE JAMES WATT.
BUT IT WOULD BE ANOTHER FAMOUS
PERSONALITY WHO WOULD FOREVER
CARRY THE BLAME FOR THE
DESTRUCTION OF THE GREAT
LIBRARY.
IN 47 B.C., THE ROMAN DICTATOR
JULIUS CAESAR CAME TO ALEXANDRIA
TO SETTLE A DISPUTE.
THE YOUNG CLEOPATRA WAS LOCKED
IN A POWER STRUGGLE FOR THE
THRONE OF EGYPT WITH HER YOUNG
BROTHER PTOLEMY.
WHEN CAESAR FELL FOR THE WILES
OF CLEOPATRA, PTOLEMY REBELLED.
IN THE BATTLE THAT FOLLOWED,
CAESAR ORDERED HIS SOLDIERS TO
BURN THE EGYPTIAN FLEETS LYING
IN THE HARBOR.
THE FIRE QUICKLY SPREAD FROM THE
WATERFRONT TO THE GREAT LIBRARY.
THE FLAMES CONSUMED A LARGE PART
OF THE LIBRARY'S COLLECTION,
MARKING THE SINGLE GREATEST LOSS
OF KNOWLEDGE IN HISTORY.
>> Rowe: SOME HISTORIANS
SPECULATE THAT THE FIRE SET
CIVILIZATION BACK BY A THOUSAND
YEARS.
WHO KNOWS?
IF THE GREAT LIBRARY AT
ALEXANDRIA HADN'T BURNED,
COLUMBUS MAY NOT HAVE SAILED
TO THE NEW WORLD.
HE MIGHT HAVE GONE TO THE MOON.
RECENTLY, A NEW LIBRARY WAS
BUILT IN ALEXANDRIA, BUT IT CAN
NEVER REPLACE THE ANCIENT
COLLECTION BURNED IN THE FIRE.
IT CONTAINED RARE MANUSCRIPTS,
THE COMEDIES OF ARISTOTLE, AND
MORE THAN 200 PLAYS BY AESCHYLUS