Question: How much of what we know about the ancient world is from references? Is there a way to learn what references are fictional and which are real?
Comment:
I really find it fascinating how the ways to record books, information, and important documents changed over the years–and how awe-inspiring it is. Like the aforementioned Library of Alexandria, whose name and story have persisted throughout time and are used as a major inspiration. The belief that a library containing the secrets of the ancient world burned to ash inspired a lot of new stories and the desire to make things last forever, which is attempting to be done now by digital media. I also really enjoyed learning about the Library of Alexandria aside from the fact it burned.
Quote:
“Later scholars would take from Freece and Romae an inspiring vision of the empowerment of knowledge, and the potentialities of collecting – as well as a lesson in how easily attempts to embody this vision could turn to ash” (19)