Library of Alexandria
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The Library of Alexandria was a library in the Egyptian city of Alexandria.
History[[edit] | [edit source]]
While planning to leave Babylon for Alexandria following Alexander the Great's death, Ptolemy Lagus planned to build a great library in his honour. (AUDIO: Farewell, Great Macedon)
Its librarians not only ejected the Fourth Doctor but suspended his lending privileges, because, according to him, "they didn't trust me after I misshelved the Dead Sea Scrolls". Nevertheless, he still had one of their books, Ptolemy's Treatise on the Structure, Position and Medicinal Nature of Celestial Bodies out on loan some 2093 years and four months after it was due back. (PROSE: Eye of Heaven)
Destruction[[edit] | [edit source]]
There were many theories for who caused the eventual the destruction of the library, including Julius Caesar, and invasion, on the orders of the Coptic Pope, by the new Islamic Empire, or by sea monsters. (AUDIO: The Library of Alexandria) Addtionally, Barbara once claimed the city was sacked and the library burned by Christians in AD 641, with only a fraction of its contents surviving. (PROSE: The Book of Shadows)
The real cause for the destruction was discovered by the First Doctor, Susan, Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton during their three week stay in the city in the 5th century. Ian especially spent a lot of time in the library in the company of the mathematician Hypatia. As it turned out, the Mim lost a book containing information from far in advance of the time period and opted to burn the library to the ground to maintain the proper course of history. They appeared from the sea to wreck havoc upon the building, giving rise to the "sea monster" theory for the library's destruction. (AUDIO: The Library of Alexandria)
By the time of his sixth incarnation, the Doctor had saved several scrolls from the fire, (AUDIO: The Carrionite Curse) including two plays by Aristophanes. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Apocalypse)
References[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Library of Alexandria reminded Ian Chesterton of University College London. (AUDIO: The Library of Alexandria)
The Eighth Doctor told Tamsin Drew that he couldn't save the Halcyon from the Ice Warriors any more than he could prevent the fire of the Library of Alexandria. (AUDIO: The Resurrection of Mars)
River Song described the Library of Alexandria as one of her "favourite places". In her first lesson instructing Thomas Mortimer, she disagreed with the book from their lesson on how the library was ultimately destroyed. (AUDIO: "The Bird from the Nest")
Iris Wildthyme once compared the Great Big Book Exchange to the Library of Alexandria. (PROSE: Enter Wildthyme)
