Knowledge and Power: The Origins of the Library at Alexandria

Author: Jerson Estrella

Mentor: Senya Lubisich, Citrus College
Subject: World History

The Library at Alexandria is often celebrated for its role in the history of scholarship, and
influence in the promotion of study, but it is a product of the Hellenistic age of competition between
Alexanders successors. In addition to the celebration of knowledge it cultivated, and despite its
destruction, the Library at Alexandria played a critical role in securing the Ptolemaic dynasties' reign as
well as furthering their power and control of the Hellenic world; the Library also acted as a fulcrum for
the balancing of both Greek and native Egyptian cultures.
After Alexanders empire fell, three Hellenistic empires formed at its wake the Antigonid,
Seleucid, and the Ptolemaic. Ptolemy seized power in Egypt and in order to legitimize his position,
kidnapped Alexanders corpse and brought it to Alexandria. He also shifted the capital of the empire from
Cairo to Alexandria. These two acts are done in order to legitimize Ptolemys position as a ruler and
rightful heir to Alexander. Naturally, founding and sponsoring an intellectual hub is the next step to
Ptolemys quest of legitimacy. Since Alexander the Great was tutored by Aristotle, Ptolemy created an
intellectual community in the same manner as Aristotles school within Alexandria.
These efforts resonated with the Greeks living within Alexandria; however, the major labor force
were still the Egyptians. In order to unite the two races, the Ptolemaic reign introduced the god Serapis
which both as a human form (Greek) and an animal form (Egyptian). This proved to be effective because
the daughter library is founded in the Serapeum a district in Alexandria that is dedicated to the pagan
god. Mending both cultures together is an important tool in Alexandrias road to prominence. While the
Greeks are well versed in mathematics, literature, poetry, and philosophy, the Egyptians are specialized in
medicine. This encouraged many Greeks from all over the Mediterranean world to converge in
Alexandria to participate in the budding intellectual hub.
The Ptolemaic reign also recognizes the importance of Greek texts in their culture; thus,
controlling the books meant power. Obtaining original manuscripts of Athenian tragedies, works of
Homer, and other important Greek literature grants prestige to their reign. This also brought fame to the
city; many scholars and intellectuals traveled to Alexandria to research. With fame, wealth soon followed
one of the main industries of city was the production of great works in Greek literature. Because of this,
Alexandria emphasized on collecting books, and used any means necessary to achieve that goal. Every
ship that docks into Alexandria is searched and every book it carried is seized and immediately copied.
They also borrowed several books from different states within the Antigonid Empire and copy them.
However, on both circumstances, Alexandria would keep the original manuscript and would only return
the copied version to their respective owners. There are even several accounts of library directors in
Alexandria pressuring Athens into selling original manuscripts for food in times of famine. The focus on

Athenian texts is because Alexander the Great value Athens more than the other city-states since Aristotle
is from Athens.Of course the Ptolemaic empire had its highs and lows in terms of power. By the second
century, the Ptolemaic empires power was dwindling and the Attalids sought to exploit this. The Attalid
Empire copied and started an intellectual hub and library at the heart of its growing kingdom
Pergamum. During this period, they were also taking over Ptolemaic ruled lands and acted as a benefactor
to the Greeks both culturally and politically. This threatens the Ptolemies rule effectively. In an attempt
to nail the coffin shut by the Attalids, they tried to poach Alexandrian scholars as well as the director
himself Aristophanes of Byzantium to work for the library in Pergamum. The Ptolemies reacted quick
and firm in the subject matter. Aristophanes never made it to Pergamum; he was imprisoned in
Alexandria and remained there until he died.
A cultural war broke out between the Attalids and the Ptolemaics; however, the Ptolemies
controlled an important export in a war of this context. Egypt is the main supplier of papyrus in the age of
antiquity. Scrolls and early codex were written down in papyrus, making it a crucial part in the life of
scholarship and research. As a result, the Ptolemies banned the export of papyrus; however, whether this
ban is only to Pergamum or a general ban, it is unclear. The Pergamum Library survived when they opted
to use animal skin instead of papyrus. This rivalry between the Libraries would evolve to something more
consequential. Competitions in finding original manuscripts or unknown works by famous authors were
prevalent between the two. Each library wanted to own something the other did not. This is consequential
because it caused the rise of forged manuscripts in the market. It may have been a futile attempt at
shutting down the competition, but this and many more incidents proves that the Ptolemies would protect
the Library at all cost. It is a potent political and cultural symbol in Alexandria that symbolizes the power
and success of the empire.
Viewing the Library at Alexandria through multiple lenses, one can ascertain that it is an
institution of power. Beneath the mysteries of its fate and the faade of scholarship and learning, patterns
of political agenda and cultural monopoly emerge. Securing a dynasty, unifying two cultures, promoting
scholarship and intellectual curiosity, achieving cultural leadership, monopoly of power, control of trade,
body snatching, and sabotage, the Ptolemaic reign used the Library and the Mouseion to its fullest. Just
like Crusades is a conquest of power under a religious front, and the Renaissance an expression of wealth
and power disguised as a cultural movement, the Library at Alexandria fits the same pattern the aim for
Hellenic dominance hidden beneath the intellectual hub of curiosity and knowledge.

Bibliography
El-Abaddi, Mostafa. The life and fate of the ancient Library of Alexandria. Paris: UNESCO, 1992.
Erskine, Andrew. Culture and Power in Ptolemaic Egypt: The Museum and Library of Alexandria. Greece
and Rome 42 (1995): 38-48.
Phillips, Heather. The Great Library of Alexandria, Library Philosophy and Practice, accessed December 3,
2014, http://unllib.unl.edu/LPP/phillips.htm.