Alexandria (since -331) is the second largest city in Egypt, a port city on the Mediterranean Sea at the western edge of the Nile Delta. Founded by Alexander the Great, it was the city of Cleopatra. In her day it was larger than Rome, becoming the first city to have a million people. It was a centre of world trade and Greek learning.
Alexandria is best known for:
- The Library of Alexandria (-295 to +646), which sought to gather together all the books of the world – and its greatest minds. It was destroyed by Christians and Muslims. A new Library opened in 2002, storing not just books but much of the Internet.
- The Pharos or Lighthouse of Alexandria (-280? to 1300s), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It stood about 110 metres tall with a fire burning at top. Ships at sea could see its fire by night and its smoke by day, 50 km away. Destroyed by earthquakes.
- Cleopatra’s Needles (-15 to 1800s) were 1400-year-old obelisks brought to Alexandria after Cleopatra’s death. Moved to London and New York in the 1800s.
Alexandria gave the West:
- putting things in alphabetical order,
- metal springs,
- latitude and longitude,
- our copies of Homer, Aristophanes, Thucydides, Herodotus, Pindar and Aeschylus.
- what we think of as the New Testament (the canon of 27 books),
- trigonometry,
- punctuation,
- human anatomy,
- Euclidean geometry,
- a good approximation of the size of the Earth,
- Arianism.
Alexandria was the city where Asia, Africa and Europe met. Much of the trade between India and Europe flowed through it till the 1400s. They used to say you could buy anything there except snow. It was also where Egypt met the world of the Greeks and Romans and, later, the French and British.
In ancient times most people were Greek, Egyptian or Jewish, but there were also Romans, Nubians, Carthaginians, Babylonians, Arabs, Indians and Iberians. It was a place where all kinds of people and ideas mixed – and sometimes fought. Alexandria was not “Egyptianized” till 1956, when Nasser kicked out nearly all the foreigners. But it is still a place of McDonald’s, Coke and Nike.
Most Westerners end the story of Alexandria in 415 when Greek science, in the person of Hypatia, was pulled from her carriage by a Christian mob and killed. Yet when the Arabs arrived in 641 it was still a place of:
“4,000 palaces, 4,000 baths, 400 theatres, 1200 greengrocers and 40,000 Jews.”
The story goes that the Arabs, having the Koran, saw no use for the books of the Library – other than to burn them to heat the baths for six months.
The Greeks and Romans ruled Egypt from Alexandria. The Arabs, threatened by Byzantine sea power, moved the capital inland to what is now Cairo.
In the 1400s Westerners found a way to get to India and the Spice Islands that cut Alexandria out. By 1798 Alexandria was little more than a fishing village.
The Alexandria of our time (2015) sprang up in the 1800s on the back of cotton, helped along by the American Civil War (which hurt US cotton exports) and the Suez Canal.
– Abagond, 2015, 2020.
See also:
- Library of Alexandria
- The largest cities in history
- Ancient Egypt
- Timbuktu – another city of books and international trade
- Posts on people who once lived there:
- books
- latitude and longitude
- New York
- Statue of Liberty – base + statue = 93 m
581
I believe that the Library of Alexander was destroyed at least twice. The first time was in 48 BC during the war between Ptolemy and Caesar.
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@abagond I think you just love writing report style pieces, sometimes it’s like the CIA factbook, even. There’s nothing wrong with that, I had a supervisor that loved the fact I liked writing reports, especially if someone else has to get the serial numbers…
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I love these “factual” (I put in quotes as I know that the facts are selected) posts, esp. about things that I don’t remember much about. The history of Alexandria is one of them.
However, I read them once, but don’t get moved in my thinking that much. I was trying to figure out why, and I think I know.
It is this:
together with a complete absence of information from the 600s to the 1800s.
Who is US? Western civilization? The way the post is written is like a page in our “History of Western Civilization” textbook and the relevance of Alexandria to the world revolves around its contribution to Western Civilization, both historically and in the present.
This histories of China and India mentioned things like Alexandria, Egypt. I am sure that many of the histories in Africa do as well. How do THEY see Alexandria? How does Egypt itself teach about it? Now this would really move me, esp. if compared to the western viewpoint of it.
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“Abagond @ Alexandria gave us: latitude and longitude, trigonometry, human anatomy, Euclidean geometry”
Linda says,
Abagond, Alexandria might have been the “New York City of Egypt” but please be careful information wise…
Euclid studied in Waset, Egypt, which is now called Luxor (the Greeks and white historians of today call it “Thebes”)
Waset / Luxor is the city that gave the European “western world” science and math. All the major Greek players of Philosophy and math studied at the university in Waset.
(Waset /Luxor is located in upper Egypt, ie southern Egypt)
“Famous, well known Greeks (Europeans) whom we study (and revere) all studied at the feet of the ancient Egyptians–Afrikans in the Nile Valley ie Kemet.
Greeks who studied at the Temple (University) of Waset:
Thales was the first to go
Plato studied at the Temple of Waset for 11 years;
Aristotle was there for 11-13 years;
Socrates 15 years
Euclid stayed for 10-11 years;
Pythegoras for 22 yeasrs;
Hypocrates studies for 20 years;
and the other Greeks who matriculated at Waset included Diodorus, Solon, Thales, Archimides, and Euripides.
the Greek, St. Clement of Alexandria, once said that if ‘you were to write a book of 1,000 pages, you would not be able to put down the names of all the Greeks who went to Kemet to be educated and even those who did not surreptitiously claim they went because it was prestigious.”
http://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/greek-philosophers-african-tribes1.htm
I know you did not say that Alexandria was the city of science and math, but
I felt the need to make this point Clear,
so that none of your race realists run in here and claim that it was the Greeks living in Alexandria back then, who “created” science and mathematics.
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“Jefe,
Who is US? Western civilization? The way the post is written is like a page in our “History of Western Civilization” textbook and the relevance of Alexandria to the world revolves around its contribution to Western Civilization, both historically and in the present”
Linda says,
doesn’t it drive you nuts that everything we read or learn about, has got to be from the white European/American “western” perspective.
They even change the names of other people’s histories and countries
such as, the city of Waset. In western history, they call it “Thebes”
“Ancient Thebes was home to some of the greatest monuments of the ancient world—built to honor the living, the dead, and the divine. The city, known as Waset to ancient Egyptians and as Luxor today, was the capital of Egypt during parts of the Middle Kingdom (2040 to 1750 B.C.) and the New Kingdom (circa 1550 to 1070 B.C.).”
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/ancient-thebes/
The city was still called “Waset” when the Greeks stumbled on it. The Egyptians did not change the name until it became Luxor (Arabic name)
but somehow, all of us, who are products of western education, are taught it’s adopted name “Thebes” and not the name the indigenous people gave it.
If you google Thebes, multitude of pages pop up — google Waset, not that much.
This is a common theme of western history, one that needs to be deconstructed but I blame the Egyptian government for letting their history get appropriated by the Arabs and Europeans.
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re: Linda
Yes, it does.
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The “West” is fixated on Greeks for some reason…but….
Trade along the ancient trade routes silk road (overland) and spice trade (sea) happened from the bronze age. The Jews for example….were traders and used these routes and later Early Eastern Christians used these same routes for missionary work. According to Phillip Jenkins, Merv (silk route)was the center of learning for Early Eastern Christianity where knowledge from all the important civilizations of the era/area was translated…..
The civilizations from the Nile river to the Yellow river may have been aware and connected….?…in which case….the whole geographic region would have been a Mega “New York”!….
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@ Anon
“The “West” is fixated on Greeks for some reason”
That is really a curious thing. Especially as it only applies to the classical age. The general Western public is not interested in the later parts of Greek history, even though the Byzantine empire was a significantly more impressive civilisation than anything in Weestern Europe until at least 1000.
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@Kartoffel,
The West is certainly very fixated on Greeks.
It is seen as origin of western civilization and is also used to link the West to ancient Egyptians.
Can one embrace the History of Western Civilization without being fixated on Greeks?
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My favorite Alexandrian!
——————————
CONTENTS · BOOK CONTENTS · INDEX TO ALL SAINTS · BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD
Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73). Volume VII: July.
The Lives of the Saints. 1866.
July 7
St. Pantænus, Father of the Church
See St. Jerom, Catal. Clem. Alex. and Eusebius. Also Ceillier, t. 2, p. 237.
THIS learned father and apostolic man flourished in the second age. He was by birth a Sicilian, and by profession a stoic philosopher. For his eloquence he is styled by St. Clement of Alexandria the Sicilian Bee. His esteem for virtue led him into an acquaintance with the Christians, and being charmed with the innocence and sanctity of their conversation he opened his eyes to the truth. He studied the holy scriptures under the disciples of the apostles, and his thirst after sacred learning brought him to Alexandria in Egypt, where the disciples of St. Mark had instituted a celebrated school of the Christian doctrine. Pantænus sought not to display his talents in that great mart of literature and commerce; but his great progress in sacred learning was after some time discovered, and he was drawn out of that obscurity in which his humility sought to live buried. Being placed at the head of the Christian school some time before the year 179, which was the first of Commodus, by his learning and excellent manner of teaching he raised its reputation above all the schools of the philosophers, and the lessons which he read, and which were gathered from the flowers of the prophets and apostles, conveyed light and knowledge into the minds of all his hearers, as St. Clement of Alexandria, his eminent scholar, says of him. The Indians who traded to Alexandria, entreated him to pay their country a visit, in order to confute their Brachmans. Hereupon he forsook his school, and was established by Demetrius, who was made bishop of Alexandria in 189, preacher of the gospel to the Eastern nations. Eusebius tells us that St. Pantænus found some seeds of the faith already sown in the Indies, and a book of the gospel of St. Matthew in Hebrew, which St. Bartholomew had carried thither. He brought it back with him to Alexandria, whither he returned after he had zealously employed some years in instructing the Indians in the faith. The public school was at that time governed by St. Clement, but St. Pantænus continued to teach in private till in the reign of Caracalla, consequently before the year 216, he closed a noble and excellent life by a happy death, as Rufinus writes. 1 His name is inserted in all western martyrologies on the 7th of July. 1
The beauty of the Christian morality, and the sanctity of its faithful professors, which by their charms converted this true philosopher, appear no where to greater advantage than when they are compared with the imperfect and often false virtue of the most famous sages of the heathen world. 2 Into what contradictions and gross errors did they fall, even about the divinity itself and the sovereign good! To how many vices did they give the name of virtues! How many crimes did they canonize! It is true they showed indeed a zeal for justice, a contempt of riches and pleasures, moderation in prosperity, patience in adversities, generosity, courage, and disinterestedness. But these were rather shadows and phantoms than real virtues, if they sprang from a principle of vanity and pride, or were infected with the poison of interestedness or any other vitiated intention, which they often betrayed, nay sometimes openly avowed, and made a subject of their vain boasts. 2
Note 1. Rufin. b. 5, c. 10. [back]
Note 2. Socrates in all things he said, used to add this form of speech, “By my Demon’s leave.” Just upon the point of expiring, he ordered a cock to be sacrificed to Esculapius. (Plato’s Phædo sub finem.) And in his trial we read one article of his impeachment to have been a charge of unnatural lust. Thales, the prince of naturalists, being asked by Crœsus what God was, put off that prince from time to time, saying, “I will consider on it.” But the meanest mechanic among the Christians can explain himself intelligibly on the Creator of the Universe. Diogenes could not be contented in his tub without gratifying his passions. And when with his dirty feet he trod upon Plato’s costly carpets, crying that he trampled upon the pride of Plato, he did this, as Plato answered him, with greater pride. Pythagoras affected tyranny at Thurium, and Zeno at Pyrene. Lycurgus made away with himself because he was unable to bear the thought of the Lacedæmonians correcting the severity of his laws. Anaxagoras had not fidelity enough to restore to strangers the goods which they had committed to his trust. Aristotle could not sit easy till he proudly made his friend Hermias sit below him; and he was as gross a flatterer of Alexander for the sake of vanity, as Plato was of Dionysius for his belly. From Plato and Socrates the stoics derived their proud maxim, “The wise man is self-sufficient.” Epictetus himself allows “to be proud of the conquest of any vice.” Aristotle (Ethic ad Nicom. l. 10, c. 7,) and Cicero patronize revenge. See B. Cumberland of the Laws of Nature, c. 9, p. 346. Abbé Batteux demonstrates the impiety and vices of Epicurus mingled with some virtues and great moral truths. (La Morale d’Epicure, à Paris, 1758.) The like blemishes may be found in the doctrine and lives of all the other boasted philosophers of paganism. See Theodoret. De curandis Græcor. affectibus, &c. [back]
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“It is seen as origin of western civilization and is also used to link the West to ancient Egyptians.”
I think that is at the core of the phenomenon. It’s the best way to create a narrataive of an old impressive civilization form the civilizations in the Middle East to modern Western Europe. In the 19th century German nationalists tried construct a counter-narrative, that rejected the Greeks and Romans and coönstructed the Germani as the liberator from a decadent and opressive empire. That had the merit that we know so little about the Germani that you can fill the void with every myth that comes in handy. But that narrative has been so thoroughly discredit that we are now back to the Greeks-Romans-Franks narrative.
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@Linda
You’re absolutely right about Greek “scholars” studying in Waset/Thebes, which was by far the preeminent center of ancient knowledge. Alexandria was just a port city established by the Macedonians/Greeks during that time. The library was just an attempt to store all the books looted (stolen) by Alexander.
As to some of the things said to have been given to us by Alexandria, among other things, trigonometry predates Alexandria by about a thousand years, e.g., the Rhind papyrus (1650 BC) was found in Waset.
I agree that the use of Thebes and other Greek names for Nilotic places, like the Greek word “Egypt” is sad, but the study of Egypt in western academia is done through Greek eyes.
I am also disappointed Abagond didn’t point out that “Cleopatra’s Needle” is a misnomer as she didn’t construct any of them. This sort of contributes to the notion of looking at ancient Egypt through Greek eyes.
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Wow
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The Greeks worshiped everything Egyptian. Especially The Black Gods Asar/Asset/Isis. Ptolemy II who wanted to be worshiped like a God. He put his likeness next to the Egyptian Gods and took Egyptian scrolls out of Hundred’s of Egyptian Temples. He put them in the Alexandria Library. A few sell-out Egyptian priest transcribed them in Greek. “HEBREW IS GREEK” is the name of a book that was taken out of circulation years ago, written by Joseph Yahuda (a jew). The Old Testament was translated from Egyptian scrolls into Greek. Hebrew language did not exist back then. Moreover, the “Septuagint” a/k/a Old Greek Testament was written by 70 Egyptians. Ask the jews for the original scripts of the Old Testament? It does not exist.
If you STEAL a people’s history and you are the Victor, you can write it as yours. The Library of Alexandria had to Go!!!
1 The truth would expose the lies of Greeks and Romans;
2 They would have to acknowledge Africa as Superior; and
3 The Roman Emperors lived to be worshiped
Everything about Greece’s intelligentsia was plagiarized. Otherwise they would be know for molesting little boys. OOOPs, but they ARE!
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@Bilal
I have also recognised similarities between Greek and Hebrew and believe they are related. Whether Hebrew is a derivative of Greek or vice versa is another issue, but I’ll definitely read the book you referenced.
I definitely agree that Hebrew didn’t exist in old Testament times and that Greco-Roman plagiarism of Egyptian works was rampant. Of course, I and others are probably more familiar with Stolen Legacy by George GM James, which makes that case.
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@Bilal and Rew77
I will have to check out the referenced books.
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Hi Linda! 🙂
——-
I raised an eyebrow about Socrates studying in a foreign place for any length of time; this is not a common understanding about Socrates, indeed it seems to be false.
In the dialogue Crito, the namesake of the dialogue presses Socrates to flee Athens before execution is carried out from Socrates’ bogus trial. Socrates explains to Crito that the Laws (personified) seem to be speaking to Socrates himself and explaining and chastising him as to why absconding would be wrong. Incidentally, we also learn about Socrates’ whereabouts over his long career of
mischief making, uh, philosophizing.Socrates speaking: ‘Socrates’, they could say, ‘we have convincing evidence that we and the city were to your liking. You couldn’t possibly have spent more of your time living here in Athens than any other Athenian if the place hadn’t been particularly to your liking. You wouldn’t have refused ever to leave the city to see famous places – except Corinth, once – or go anywhere at all, except on military service. You never went abroad, as other people do. You weren’t seized with a desire to know any other city or any other laws. No, you were satisfied with us and with our city. In fact, so firmly did you choose us an agree to live your life as a citizen under us, that you even produced children in the city. You wouldn’t have done that if it had not been to your liking.
-source Symposium and The Death of Socrates, Wordsworth Classics-Tom Griffith translation.
——————-
However, having said the above, I agree with you that the Thebes name change is like historical fog. Also, the transmission of knowledge from Egypt to the Greeks (if it occurred, i believe it did but I am not read up on it) should be part of mainstream understanding of history.
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Heeey! Legion, nice to read you again! 🙂
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^ Good King! Dang, I shoulda put some curse words in there to spice it up a little for you. 😉 Linda would have my ass though–i mean, my butt.
Btw, what do you think? Socrates was a homebody, right.
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Funny thing about ancient Alexandria under the Ptolemies: the Ptolemies charged ‘native’ Egyptians higher taxes for residing in the city proper of Alexandria…Bill Freund talks about these discriminatory policies of the Ptolemies in “The African City”
http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/history/regional-history-after-1500/african-city-history
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Hey, I was redirected here by Google. Upon seeing the picture of the Pharos with some ships in the stormy waters encompassing it. Ancient sailors knew exactly what times to sail on the Medditeranian, down to the day, due to the predictable weather and waters. I can back this up with loads of evidence, as I take Latin and studied multiple Egyptian cities. Unless a captain and his oarsman sailed at night and developed lunacy, there would be no reason, as of that time period, to be sailing in such a storm.
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