Some ancient cities that have survived to modern day are so wrapped in mythology that it is hardly worth the time to consider whether their origin stories are founded in reality. The origin story of Rome is the most popular. There is, however, another ancient city ensconced in myth that has endured through time, but with a better recorded and more believable origin story. Despite being founded by arguably the closest person to ever represent a demigod—Alexander the Great (a name given to him posthumously)—the origin story of Alexandria has endured and been accepted through the millennia. In Islam Issa’s latest work, “Alexandria: The City That Changed the World,” the author admits that “Alexandria is certainly an extension of such active myth-making, its founding story, like its founder, is inevitably full of legends, beginning at Alexander and extending over time, forcing us to compete with doubts and contradictions.”
The Lure of Alexandria
Mr. Issa begins with Alexandria’s founder. He briefs the reader on how Alexander rose to lead the Macedonians after his father’s assassination, and why he chose to found Alexandria. The city was first on the island of Pharos (the book’s maps show how the city grew over time). The island had been mentioned by Homer in the “Odyssey.” Alexander had even dreamed of it before he had seen it. Although he never saw it built, he did receive a prophecy that he would never leave the city. This prophecy was fulfilled when his general, Ptolemy, stole his body and his descendants buried it in Alexandria (the location of his body remains one of the world’s great mysteries).
The Great Library
When the Library of Alexandria was built, its core mission was to collect every book in the world. As Mr. Issa writes, the rulers of Alexandria “would stop at nothing to make it the knowledge capital of the world.” This obsession is demonstrated with humor, which Mr. Issa uses every so often. (This tactic is rarely necessary as the stories alone are entertaining and at times humorous, even when morbid). The humor concerning the library stems from the fact that the demand for a copy of every book soon became a demand for, and leading to the theft sometimes of, every original copy. This caused some kings, emperors, and leaders to worry about lending the library their books. One of the most famous and important literary achievements discussed in the book was the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, known as the Septuagint.
Among the many entertaining eras discussed, the chapter on the library is utterly fascinating. Mr. Issa relates how librarians, like Zenodotus and Callimachus, influenced library organization in ways we still use today, such as ordering books alphabetically. Seeking knowledge was of such importance that the library’s director had to be appointed by the Pharaoh (the Ptolemies), and they were considered part of the priesthood, known as the Priest of the Muses.
A View of History
Mr. Issa courses seamlessly through the decades and centuries, covering the dramatic, such as the era of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, and later Mark Antony; the reign of the Caesars; the rise of Christianity, and religious writers who found their home in Alexandria, such as Clement, Origen, and Athanasius; the rise of Islam; the Crusades; the Black Plague; and how the city, through nearly every social and political struggle, tried to maintain its original mission as a cosmopolitan metropolis and a haven for those pursuing knowledge.As Mr. Issa demonstrates, this mission did not always succeed, and the reader is shown the ebb and flow, rise and decline, of the city’s greatness. Just as the great library of Alexandria literally burned, the city found itself mirroring the same tragedy, typically metaphorically, but at times literally.
As aforementioned, “Alexandria” is a literary triumph; I can hardly recommend it enough. Whether you wish to know more about this former “knowledge capital of the world” or are simply seeking a scaled-down world history since Alexander, this is a fantastic and illuminating read.
