The Library of Alexandria was one of the greatest cultural adornments of the late ancient world, containing thousands of scrolls of Greek, Hebrew and Mesopotamian literature and art and artifacts of ancient Egypt. This book demonstrates that Alexandria became--through the contemporary reputation of its library--a point of confluence for Greek, Roman, Jewish and Syrian culture that drew scholars and statesmen from throughout the ancient world. It also explores the histories of Alexander the Great and of Alexandria itself, the greatest city of the ancient world. This new paperback edition offers general readers an accessible introduction to the history of this magnificent yet still mysterious institution from the time of its foundation up to its tragic destruction.

亚历山大图书馆是晚期古代世界最伟大的文化装饰之一，其中包含了数千卷希腊、希伯来和美索不达米亚的文学作品以及古埃及的艺术和文物。本书表明，亚历山大城通过其图书馆的当代声誉，成为希腊、罗马、犹太和叙利亚文化的汇合点，吸引了整个古代世界的学者和政治家。它还探讨了亚历山大大帝和亚历山大城本身的历史，这是古代世界最伟大的城市。这本新的平装版为普通读者提供了关于这个宏伟但仍然神秘的机构从其建立之初到其悲剧性毁灭的历史的易懂介绍。