> If you have some reliable references, I'd be happy to learn from them!
The problem is that we have no reliable references on the destruction of this library. Written sources contradict each other, and archaeology has nothing.
- According to 3 Roman authors, Julius Caesar burned it. But other Roman authors vigorously deny it.
- Even if no book did burn at this time, centuries of decline followed. The town's activity went down, and other libraries had greater fame.
- When Aurelian took the city (anno 272, thanks Wikipedia), the building was certainly destroyed (among many others) if it still existed.
- There were very late claims that the library was destroyed be the Arab invasion, but this is extremely unlikely since the written sources on the library's activity stopped just before the probable destruction by Aurelian.
In France most people believe in an Arab destruction. For instance, this well known newspaper had to write an justification[^1] after many readers denied the destruction by the Romans mentioned in a previous article. I suppose it is not a mere coincidence that the prejudice against Arabs is very common in this country.
[^1]: https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1990/02/10/qui-a-bru...
The problem is that we have no reliable references on the destruction of this library. Written sources contradict each other, and archaeology has nothing.
- According to 3 Roman authors, Julius Caesar burned it. But other Roman authors vigorously deny it. - Even if no book did burn at this time, centuries of decline followed. The town's activity went down, and other libraries had greater fame.
- When Aurelian took the city (anno 272, thanks Wikipedia), the building was certainly destroyed (among many others) if it still existed.
- There were very late claims that the library was destroyed be the Arab invasion, but this is extremely unlikely since the written sources on the library's activity stopped just before the probable destruction by Aurelian.
In France most people believe in an Arab destruction. For instance, this well known newspaper had to write an justification[^1] after many readers denied the destruction by the Romans mentioned in a previous article. I suppose it is not a mere coincidence that the prejudice against Arabs is very common in this country. [^1]: https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1990/02/10/qui-a-bru...