Founded in 238 BCE, the Library of Alexandria holds a distinctive place in our collective imagination. Built—and destroyed—in a time before widespread literacy, public libraries, or even the invention of books, how did the Library become such a renowned repository of ancient knowledge? And why does it still fascinate us so much today?
Join Dr. Sheila Hoffman of the University of Massachusetts Lowell for The Great Library of Alexandria, where you’ll investigate the origins and purpose of the Library, how it functioned in the Classical world, and why its loss continues to reverberate through time. Throughout this lecture, Dr. Hoffman will help you separate fact from fiction as you discover the true story of this legendary ancient institution.
Pilot Lecture: The Great Library of Alexandria
Uncover the true history of the Library of Alexandria and explore why it continues to fascinate us thousands of years after it disappeared.
01: The Great Library of Alexandria
What was the Library of Alexandria and why has it become so important to our collective histories and imagination? Join Dr. Sheila Hoffman for The Great Library of Alexandria and discover the origin, influence, and untimely end of this revered institution. Along the way, you’ll trace the history of libraries and literacy in the ancient world, uncovering why a library that existed before books were even invented has left such an enduring legacy.
34 min
Overview Course No. 90192
