~ ' I' UNIVERSI1Y OF CAPE TOWN FACUL1Y OF EDUCATION The development of the notion of libraries in the ancient world with special reference to the Middle East, Greece, the Roman Republic andTown the Royal Alexandrian Library. Cape A dissertation presented in fulfilment of theof requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Librarianship. Universityby Niels Ruppelt SEPTEMBER 1993 1' , :,·i~· ~~J~~?f) nit•·~;, ~ .• ~.,. +.·. • ·. , • ., ;i:~::~;.. :.; ,r, \Vhr·.;~:! ~ 1 ' • ., .. • , • 1 t • 1 <~1r tt1t11:1r. • '),,rt · t 'l·} • 4 I ·--~---.-. __ _... ....... -. ,. .... .._ .... .....-~ The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgement of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Published by the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University of Cape Town The financial assistance of the Centre for Science Development towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed in this publication, or conclusions arrived at, are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the Centre for Science Development. ABSTRACT The Royal Alexandrian Library (RAL) is considered by modern scholarship to represent the epitome of the development of ancient librarianship. Its extensive holdings imply the application of modern organizational procedures such as collection development, information retrieval and promotion of use - terms identifiable as elements embodied in the conceptual framework of librarianship (for the purposes of this study the latter two concepts - information retrieval and promotion of use - are combined into the simplified general concept of "collection accessibility"). The RAL therefore constitutes a key development phase in the evolution of modern librarianship. However, scholars have disputed the origins of the RAL and Mouseion or university it was attached to. The so­ called "Greek thesis" emphasizes the purely Greek origins of both the Mouseion and the RAL. Conversely, the "Ptolemaic thesis", while acknowledging the Greek origins of the Mouseion, argues that the RAL (as an independent institution distinguishable from the Mouseion proper) is derived from Middle Eastern institutions. This study traces the origins of the RAL from the textual collections of the early Mediterranean and Middle Eastern civilizations, through the period of Greek and the subsequent Hellenistic cultural dominance - culminating in the legacy of Hellenistic librarianship as inherited by the Roman Republic, since the newly emerging Roman empire was to exert a deciding influence upon the historical development of the RAL. Within these civilizations and regions a brief overview is undertaken to gauge the extent of literacy and literary output prevalent in each as well as a general assessment of librarianship and library practices. The major and most noteworthy archival and book collections are then analysed according to the organizational procedures identified in the outlined conceptual framework of librarianship. For this purpose sufficient information has been obtained from archaeological evidence and primary and secondary sources to allow for the analysis of forty-three libraries throughout the ancient world. In this way predominantly Middle Eastern as well as Greek elements have been identified as contributing to the creation, organization and functioning of the RAL. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................... LIST OF FIGURES, MAPS AND TABLES ............................. vi 1. INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM . 1 1.2 DEFINITION AND METHODOLOGY . 2 1.3 TIMETABLE . 4 2. LIBRARIES OF THE MIDDLE EAST . 6 2.1 MESOPOTAMIA, SYRIA AND ASIA-MINOR . 6 2.1.1 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW . 6 2.1.2 THE INVENTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF WRITING . 7 2.1.3 THE EXTENT OF LITERACY ......................... 8 2.1.4 LITERACY OUTPUT . 10 2.1.5 MIDDLE EASTERN LIBRARIANSHIP.................. 11 2.1.5.1 Architectural layout . 11 2.1.5.2 Library personnel . 12 2.1.5.3 Collection development . 12 2.1.5.4 Collection accessibility . 12 2.1.6 ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUAL LIBRARIES . 16 2.1.6.1 Ur . 16 2.1.6.2 Mari . 17 2.1.6.3 Kish . 18 2.1.6.4 Ebla . 19 2.1.6.5 Lagash . 23 2.1.6.6 Hattusa . 24 2.1.6.7 Ugarit . 26 2.1.6.8 Agene . 27 2.1.6.9 Nineveh . 28 2.2 PHARAONIC EGYPT . 34 2.2.1 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW . 34 2.2.2 HIEROGLYPHICS AND PAPYRUS . 34 2.2.3 THE EXTENT OF LITERACY . 36 2.2.4 LITERACY OUTPUT . 37 2.2.5 EGYPTIAN LIBRARIANSHIP . 38 2.2.5.1 Architectural layout . 38 2.2.5.2 Library personnel . 39 2.2.5.3 Collection development 39 2.2.5.4 Collection accessibility . 40 2.2.6 ANALYSES OF INDIVIDUAL LIBRARIES . 41 2.2.6.1 Edfu . 41 2.2.6.2 Amarna . 44 2.2.6.3 Thebes . 45 2.2.6.4 Heliopolis . 48 iii 2.3. PALESTINE . 50 2.3.1 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW ........................... 50 2.3.2 THE EXTENT OF LITERACY AND LITERARY OUTPUT .. 51 2.3.3 LIBRARIANSHIP IN THE PALESTINIAN REGION . 53 2.3.3.1 Architectural layout . 54 2.3.3.2 Library personnel . 54 2.3.3.3 Collection development and accessibility . 55 2.3.3.4 Types of collections . 56 2.3.4 ANALYSES OF INDIVIDUAL LIBRARIES . 57 2.3.4.1 Samaria . 57 2.3.4.2 Lachish . 58 3. LIBRARIES OF GREECE . 61 3.1 THE BRONZE AGE .................................... 61 3.1.1 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW . 61 3.1.2 LINEAR A AND B .................................. 63 3.1.3 EXTENT OF LITERACY . 64 3.1.4 LITERATURE . 65 3.1.5 BRONZE AGE LIBRARIANSHIP . 66 3.1.5.1 Collection development . 66 3.1.5.2 Collection accessibility . 66 3.1.6 ANALYSES OF INDIVIDUAL LIBRARIES . 67 3.1.6.1 Knossos . 67 3.1.6.2 Mycenae . 68 3.1.6.3 Pylos . 69 3.2 THE DARK AGES . 72 3.2.1 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW . 72 3.2.2 POSSIBLE EXISTENCE OF WRITTEN DOCUMENTS AND BOOK COLLECTIONS .............................. 72 3.3 THE AGE OF GREEK CULTURAL DOMINANCE . 75 3.3.1 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW . 75 3.3.2 INTRODUCTION TO THE ALPHABET . 76 3.3.3 THE EXTENT OF LITERACY . 78 3.3.4 LITERARY OUTPUT . 83 3.3.4.1 Early forms: Epic, Didactic and Lyric Poetry . 86 3.3.4.2 Tragedy . 87 3.3.4.3 Logography . 88 3.3.4.4 Comedy . 89 3.3.4.5 Play festivals . 89 3.3.4.6 Commentaries . 91 3.3.4.7 Publishing and bookshops . 92 3.3.5 GREEK LIBRARIANSHIP . 94 3.3.5.1 Collection development . 95 3.3.5.2 Collection accessibility . 96 3.3.5.3 Commerce collections . 97 3.3.5.4 Private collections . 97 3.3.5.5 School libraries . 98 3.3.5.6 Schools of philosophy and academies . 98 3.3.5.7 State and administrative archives . 99 3.3.5.8 Temple libraries ............................ 100 iv 3.3.6 ANALYSES OF INDIVIDUAL LIBRARIES .............. 101 3.3.6.1 The Peisistratids ............................ 101 3.3.6.2 Polycrates . 104 3.3.6.3 The Metroon ............................... 106 3.3.6.4 Euthydemus . 108 3.3.6.5 Plato's Academy . 109 3.3.6.6 Linos .................................... 111 3.3.6.7 Aristotle .................................. 112 4. THE HELLENISTIC PERIOD . 117 4.1 THE AGE OF THE SUCCESSORS ......................... 117 4.1.1 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW ........................... 117 4.1.2 THE EXTENT OF LITERACY ........................ 119 4.1.3 LITERARY OUTPUT ............................... 120 4.1.4 HELLENISTIC LIBRARIANSHIP ...................... 122 4.1.4.1 Architectural layout .......................... 123 4.1.4.2 Library personnel . 124 4.1.4.3 Collection development . 125 4.1.4.4 Collection accessibility . 125 4.1.4.5 Libraries of the academies . 127 4.1.4.6 Gymnasia ................................. 128 4.1.4.7 Private Collections ........................... 128 4.1.4.8 Royal libraries . 129 4.1.4. 9 Temple collections . 130 4.1.5 ANALYSES OF INDIVIDUAL LIBRARIES .............. 131 4.1.5.1 The Lyceum ............................... 131 4.1.5.2 The Serapeum temple library ................... 135 4.1.5.3 Antioch ................................... 138 4.1.5.4 Pella ..................................... 141 4.1.5.5 The Ptolemaion ............................. 143 4.1.5.6 The Rhodes Gymnasium ...................... 144 4.1.5.7 Pergamum ................................. 147 4.1.5.8 Qumran .................................. 154 4.1.5.9 The Jerusalem public archive library ............. 158 4.1.5.10 Apellicon of Teos ........................... 159 4.2 THE HELLENISTIC LEGACY.