Storiascopio · Era 5 of 12 · primary year 5
The Library of Alexandria
about 295 BC · Alexandria, Egypt
In short
In Alexandria the Ptolemaic kings created the Museum, a centre of learning dedicated to the Muses, and next to it a vast library. The aim was to collect every book in the known world, written on papyrus scrolls. It is said that ships arriving in the harbour were searched and any books found on board were copied: the library kept the original and gave back the copy. According to ancient sources it came to hold hundreds of thousands of scrolls.
Why it matters It was the greatest centre of knowledge in the ancient world, where scientists and poets from all over the Mediterranean worked.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Library of Alexandria”
Where we are in the era “Ancient Greece”
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about 800 BCEvent 23 of 25about 100 BC
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/the-library-of-alexandria/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class