This geocache has been approved by Kitsap Regional Library through Carol Schuyler, Deputy Director.
With Authorization Only, geocaches are permitted within the library system!
Kitsap Regional Library - Central Branch 1301 Sylvan Way, East Bremerton, WA. 98310 Telephone: (360)405-9100 or 1-877-883-9900 Mon-Thur 9:30-9:00, Fri & Sat 9:30-5:30, Sun 12:30-5:00
LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA ______________________Alexandria, Egypt______________________
The City of Alexandria was founded in Egypt by Alexandria the Great. His successor as Pharaoh, Ptolemy II Soter, founded the Museum or Royal Library of Alexandria. The Museum was a shrine of the Nine Muses, modeled after the Lyceum of Aristotle located in Athens. The Museum was a place of study, which included lecture areas, gardens, a zoo and a shrine for each of the Muses, as well as the Library itself. It has been estimated that at one time the Library contained over 500,000 documents from Assyria, Greece, Persia, Egypt, India and many other nations. Over 100 scholars lived at the Museum full time to perform research, write, lecture or translate and copy documents. The library was so large that it actually had another branch or "daughter" library at the Temple of Serapis. One story holds that the Library was seeded, so to speak, with Aristotle's own private collection, through one of his students, Demetrius of Phaleron. Another concerns how its collection grew so large. By decree of Ptolemy III of Egypt, all visitors to the city were required to surrender all books and scrolls in their possession; these writings were then swiftly copied by official scribes. The originals were put into the Library, and the copies were delivered to the previous owners. While encroaching on the rights of the traveler or merchant, it also helped to create a reservoir of books in the relatively new city. So who did burn the Library of Alexandria? Unfortunately most of the writers from Plutarch(who apparently blamed Caesar) to Edward Gibbons (a staunch atheist or deist who liked very much to blame Christians and blamed Theophilus) to Bishop Gregory (who was particularly anti-Moslem, blamed Omar) all hadan axe to grind and consequently must be seen as biased. Probably everyone mentioned above had some hand in destroying some part of the Library's holdings. The collection may have ebbed and flowed as some documents were destroyed and others were added. For instance, Mark Antony was supposed to have given Cleopatra over 200,000 scrolls for the Library, long after Julius Caesar was accused of burning it. The real tragedy of course is not the uncertainty of knowing who to blame for the Library's destruction, but that so much of the world's ancient history, literature and learning were lost forever.
For research information about the "Library of Alexandria" or other related subjects, go to one of the following websites or visit your local community library and check out a book today.
THE FINE PRINT: This Geocache has been approved by the K.R.L. Board of Directors and Carol Schuyler, who supported my efforts. Furthormore, no other Geocaches will be permitted on K.R.L. properties, to include all other K.R.L. branches, with permission from the aforementioned persons. Unauthorized caches will be confiscated!
Last Edited/Updated: 20 September 2004
AT THE REQUEST OF K.R.L.: Be advised that the area East of the Kitsap Regional Library main building, resembling a well manicured park-like setting, belongs to K.R.L. and is not for use by the general public, such as picnicing et cetera. Permission must be obtained from K.R.L. to use this area! Anyone on the premises without permission, day or night, may be considered a suspicious person. Staff members are encourged to be watchful and report unusual or suspicious behaviour. In the past, persons of interest have had unscheduled meetings with the police, asking them why they were there and what they were doing.
FAHRENHEIT 451! - I
Printer Version
Spy on this Cache
Picture clues below!
Add a Log Entry
(easy)
Background
KRL Logo