# The Great Library At Alexandria Burns Again!~ **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 5, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-library-at-alexandria-burns-again/159278 "2003-03-05T17:10:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-library-at-alexandria-burns-again/159278/1 "2003-03-05T17:10:43Z")
EEK!!! [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle\_east/2812765.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2812765.stm) :eek: :eek: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![TeleTronOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4af34b/32.png) [@TeleTronOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeleTronOne)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-library-at-alexandria-burns-again/159278/2 "2003-03-05T17:26:54Z")
That SUCKS! I’m still mad about it burning down the FIRST time (Bloody Romans!). At least the whole thing didn’t burn down, just some administrative offices. ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-library-at-alexandria-burns-again/159278/3 "2003-03-05T17:28:25Z")
I was going to be majorly pissed if I missed out on seeing another one, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-library-at-alexandria-burns-again/159278/4 "2003-03-05T21:47:29Z")
**TeleTronOne** : wasn’t it “bloody fanatical Christians”? ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-library-at-alexandria-burns-again/159278/5 "2003-03-05T21:54:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TeleTronOne \* > \*\*(Bloody Romans!). \*\* Right. Right. Terrific race, the Romans. Terrific. ---
**Author:** ![TeleTronOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4af34b/32.png) [@TeleTronOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeleTronOne)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-library-at-alexandria-burns-again/159278/6 "2003-03-05T22:32:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by js\_africanus \* > \*\*Right. Right. Terrific race, the Romans. Terrific. \*\* Exactly - the facts should never get in the way of a python reference. But wasn’t it Julius Caesar who was ultimately responsible for the burning of the original library? Although I think it’s one of those things where everyone around at the time tried to blame everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-library-at-alexandria-burns-again/159278/7 "2003-03-05T23:16:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TeleTronOne \* > \*\*Exactly - the facts should never get in the way of a python reference. But wasn’t it Julius Caesar who was ultimately responsible for the burning of the original library? Although I think it’s one of those things where everyone around at the time tried to blame everyone else. \*\* I think he’s quoted as saying “Let it burn” along with some reference to the uselessness of it–or something to that effect. If not directly responsible, I get the impression that he still bears culpability for failing to act. A pretty egregious offense, IMO. You’d have to be a real putz to not fight to save the world’s greatest library with the same vigor that you use to crush the Gauls. Let’s be honest: the guy was a piece of shit. It’s interesting to read Machiavelli’s comparison of Caesar with real statesmen. He doesn’t come off too good. ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-library-at-alexandria-burns-again/159278/8 "2003-03-06T03:22:01Z")
Oh, god! Nooooooooooooo! The books! Oh god the beautiful helpless reference materials! Won’t someone _please_ think of the microfiche!?!?! I was traumatized by the first time it burned down! _cringe_ What, just some offices? Oh. That’s okay then. _phew_