[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:07.24,0:00:09.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,2,300 years ago,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.12,0:00:11.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the rulers of Alexandria \Nset out to fulfill
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.80,0:00:14.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,one of humanity’s most audacious goals:
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.20,0:00:18.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to collect all the knowledge in the world \Nunder one roof.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.59,0:00:19.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In its prime,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:19.82,0:00:23.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Library of Alexandria housed \Nan unprecedented number of scrolls
Dialogue: 0,0:00:23.62,0:00:27.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and attracted some of \Nthe Greek world’s greatest minds.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.16,0:00:31.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But by the end of the 5th century CE,\Nthe great library had vanished.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.70,0:00:35.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Many believed it was destroyed \Nin a catastrophic fire.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:35.23,0:00:39.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The truth of the library’s rise \Nand fall is much more complex.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:39.48,0:00:42.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The idea for the library came \Nfrom Alexander the Great.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.78,0:00:45.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,After establishing himself as a conqueror,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.04,0:00:47.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the former student of Aristotle \Nturned his attention
Dialogue: 0,0:00:47.85,0:00:52.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to building an empire of knowledge \Nheadquartered in his namesake city.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.52,0:00:54.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He died before construction began,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:54.73,0:00:56.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but his successor, Ptolemy I,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.74,0:01:01.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,executed Alexander’s plans \Nfor a museum and library.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:01.35,0:01:03.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Located in the royal district of the city,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.74,0:01:05.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Library of Alexandria
Dialogue: 0,0:01:05.27,0:01:08.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,may have been built \Nwith grand Hellenistic columns,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.10,0:01:09.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,native Egyptian influences,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.94,0:01:15.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or a unique blend of the two--there are \Nno surviving accounts of its architecture.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:15.06,0:01:20.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We do know it had lecture halls, \Nclassrooms, and, of course, shelves.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:20.09,0:01:21.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As soon as the building was complete,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.96,0:01:26.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Ptolemy I began to fill it with\Nprimarily Greek and Egyptian scrolls.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:26.44,0:01:30.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He invited scholars to live \Nand study in Alexandria at his expense.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:30.84,0:01:34.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The library grew as they contributed \Ntheir own manuscripts,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.49,0:01:39.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but the rulers of Alexandria still wanted \Na copy of every book in the world.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.70,0:01:44.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Luckily, Alexandria was a hub for ships\Ntraveling through the Mediterranean.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.33,0:01:49.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Ptolemy III instituted a policy requiring \Nany ship that docked in Alexandria
Dialogue: 0,0:01:49.44,0:01:51.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to turn over its books for copying.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.94,0:01:55.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Once the Library’s scribes \Nhad duplicated the texts,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:55.08,0:01:58.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they kept the originals \Nand sent the copies back to the ships.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.55,0:02:02.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hired book hunters also scoured \Nthe Mediterranean
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.09,0:02:03.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in search of new texts,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.91,0:02:06.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the rulers of Alexandria attempted \Nto quash rivals
Dialogue: 0,0:02:06.74,0:02:12.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by ending all exports of the Egyptian \Npapyrus used to make scrolls.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:12.17,0:02:16.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These efforts brought hundreds \Nof thousands of books to Alexandria.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.27,0:02:17.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As the library grew,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:17.82,0:02:21.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it became possible to find information \Non more subjects than ever before,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:21.86,0:02:26.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but also much more difficult to find \Ninformation on any specific subject.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.69,0:02:32.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Luckily, a scholar named Callimachus of\NCyrene set to work on a solution,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.06,0:02:33.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,creating the pinakes,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:33.85,0:02:37.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a 120-volume catalog \Nof the library’s contents,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:37.24,0:02:39.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the first of its kind.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:39.31,0:02:40.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Using the pinakes,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:40.74,0:02:43.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,others were able to navigate \Nthe Library’s swelling collection.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.89,0:02:46.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They made some astounding discoveries.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.72,0:02:49.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,1,600 years before Columbus set sail,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.41,0:02:52.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Eratosthenes not only realized \Nthe earth was round,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:52.73,0:02:55.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but calculated its circumference \Nand diameter
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.23,0:02:57.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,within a few miles of their actual size.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:57.73,0:03:01.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Heron of Alexandria created \Nthe world’s first steam engine
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.33,0:03:03.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,over a thousand years before
Dialogue: 0,0:03:03.20,0:03:06.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it was finally reinvented during \Nthe Industrial Revolution.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:06.64,0:03:13.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For about 300 years after its founding \Nin 283 BCE, the library thrived.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:13.68,0:03:19.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But then, in 48 BCE, Julius Caesar \Nlaid siege to Alexandria
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.21,0:03:21.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and set the ships in the harbor on fire.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:21.80,0:03:26.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For years, scholars believed the library \Nburned as the blaze spread into the city.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.83,0:03:30.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's possible the fire destroyed \Npart of the sprawling collection,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:30.31,0:03:32.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but we know from ancient writings
Dialogue: 0,0:03:32.14,0:03:36.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that scholars continued to visit \Nthe library for centuries after the siege.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:36.66,0:03:41.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Ultimately, the library slowly disappeared\Nas the city changed from Greek,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:41.24,0:03:42.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to Roman,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.27,0:03:43.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Christian,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.17,0:03:45.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and eventually Muslim hands.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.18,0:03:48.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Each new set of rulers viewed \Nits contents as a threat
Dialogue: 0,0:03:48.32,0:03:50.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,rather than a source of pride.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.79,0:03:52.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In 415 CE,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:52.88,0:03:56.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Christian rulers even had \Na mathematician named Hypatia
Dialogue: 0,0:03:56.29,0:03:59.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,murdered for studying \Nthe library’s ancient Greek texts,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:59.96,0:04:02.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which they viewed as blasphemous.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:02.38,0:04:06.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Though the Library of Alexandria \Nand its countless texts are long gone,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:06.90,0:04:09.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we’re still grappling \Nwith the best ways to collect,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:09.62,0:04:10.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,access,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:10.56,0:04:12.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and preserve our knowledge.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:12.51,0:04:14.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There’s more information available today
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.74,0:04:17.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and more advanced technology \Nto preserve it,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:17.38,0:04:19.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,though we can’t know for sure
Dialogue: 0,0:04:19.04,0:04:22.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that our digital archives \Nwill be more resistant to destruction
Dialogue: 0,0:04:22.49,0:04:25.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than Alexandria’s ink and paper scrolls.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:25.79,0:04:29.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And even if our reservoirs of knowledge \Nare physically secure,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:29.41,0:04:32.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they will still have to resist \Nthe more insidious forces
Dialogue: 0,0:04:32.67,0:04:34.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that tore the library apart:
Dialogue: 0,0:04:34.87,0:04:36.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,fear of knowledge,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:36.25,0:04:39.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the arrogant belief \Nthat the past is obsolete.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:39.79,0:04:43.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The difference is that, this time, \Nwe know what to prepare for.