The Lost Library of Alexandria

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The Lost Library of Alexandria

A documentary podcast exploring the rise, glory, and tragic destruction of the ancient world's greatest repository of knowledge. Discover how the Library of Alexandria revolutionized science and literature, and uncover the truth behind its legendary demise.

8 / 8 episodes en

Episodes

  1. 01 City of Alexander Discover how the Library of Alexandria began with a dying king's dream and a new dynasty's ambition to build a universal archive of human knowledge.
  2. 02 Stealing the World's Books Explore the ruthless and cunning tactics the Library of Alexandria used to confiscate, copy, and hoard every papyrus scroll in the ancient Mediterranean.
  3. 03 Measuring the Earth Step inside the Library of Alexandria's halls of science, where ancient scholars used the massive collection to accurately calculate the circumference of the globe.
  4. 04 Inventing the Catalog Learn how the Library of Alexandria managed its massive collection by inventing the Pinakes, the world's first comprehensive library catalog system.
  5. 05 Caesar's Fire Investigate the most famous disaster in the Library of Alexandria's history, examining whether Julius Caesar's burning ships truly destroyed the great archive in 48 BC.
  6. 06 The Daughter Library Follow the Library of Alexandria's legacy to the Serapeum, a massive temple complex that served as the city's public archive during the Roman era.
  7. 07 Death of a Scholar Witness the final, violent days of the Library of Alexandria's intellectual tradition, culminating in religious riots and the tragic murder of the mathematician Hypatia.
  8. 08 The Myth of the Ashes Synthesize the complete history of the Library of Alexandria to separate the historical reality of its gradual decline from the legendary myth of its sudden, catastrophic burning.

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