Synopsis
This delightful book tells the story of ancient libraries from their very beginnings, when “books” were clay tablets and writing was a new phenomenon. Renowned classicist Lionel Casson takes us on a lively tour, from the royal libraries of the most ancient Near East, through the private and public libraries of Greece and Rome, down to the first Christian monastic libraries. To the founders of the first public libraries of the Greek world goes the credit for creating the prototype of today’s library buildings and the science of organizing books in them.
Casson recounts the development of ancient library buildings, systems, holdings, and patrons, addressing questions on a wide variety of topics, such as:
• What was the connection between the rise in education and literacy and the growth of libraries?
• Who contributed to the early development of public libraries, especially the great library at Alexandria?
• What did ancient libraries include in their holdings?
• How did ancient libraries acquire books?
• What was the nature of publishing in the Greek and Roman world?
• How did different types of users (royalty, scholars, religious figures) and different kinds of “books” (tablets, scrolls, codices) affect library arrangements?
• How did Christianity transform the nature of library holdings?
Just as a library yields unexpected treasures to a meandering browser, this entertaining book offers to its perusers the surprising history of the rise and development of ancient libraries—a fascinating story never told before.
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About the Author
Lionel Casson is Professor Emeritus of Classics, New York University, and the author of Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World as well as many other books on ancient maritime history and ancient travel.
From the Back Cover
"Will appeal not just to bibliophiles but to anyone who enjoys picking up odd bits of intriguing historical information." -Amanda Heller, Boston Sunday Globe
"Informative. . . . [and] engaging." -Michiko Kakutani, New York Times
"A wonderful book on a wonderful subject. Casson knows what is interesting and tells us in spellbinding style." -G.W. Bowersock, Institute for Advanced Study
"A charming and brief narrative history of the birth (and deaths) of libraries in the ancient world." -Robert Messenger, New York Times Book Review
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