The Library of Alexandria’s Actual Importance

It’ll be a faux pas to mention some of the notable libraries in history without adding the Library of Alexandria. According to legend, the Egyptian library held up to 400,000 scrolls. To further boost its reputation, scholars like Archimede and Callimachus studied there at some point.

So, the library’s fame and impressive collection of books would make it seem like the only source of knowledge in the ancient world. However, the Library of Pergamum and the Library of Antioch were just some examples of alternatives. And when the Egyptian King Ptolemy III banned foreign scholars from Alexandria, they had to make do with several options.