The Egyptian ships formed a barricade, hoping to stop Julius Caesar’s aggressive attack. Caesar’s ships reportedly let loose a volley of flaming attacks. As the vessels rose in flames, so did the Library of Alexandria.
Home to between 200,000 and 700,000 books, the fire reportedly destroyed the library. Refusing to fund the necessary repairs and abolishing the stipends given to scholars to care for the books it held, the library was forced to shut down operations.
As power in Alexandria shifted over time, so did the beliefs. Christian, Islamic, and Judaic rulers faced conflict over the existence and remaining contents of the library. The connection civilization forged through research and knowledge began to crumble, and societies grew more distant.
As the temple fell further into disrepair, ruler Caliph Omar in 640 CE was accused of ordering the final pages to be burned in bathhouses throughout the city. The money used to keep the library alive instead went on to fund wars and empire expansion.
Ultimately, a millennium of knowledge was lost. Conservatives today are trying to achieve the same thing by reducing funding and support of Black history. An ignorant populace is a compliant populace. We can’t let them succeed in removing education and knowledge from our communities.