I talk about the loss of the library of Alexandria all the time as one of the great tragedies in the ancient world.... So sad. So much mindless loss that can never be regained.
Nice to see you again! The loss of the library of Alexandra is even more tragic, because of ancient writers and men of letters commenting on what was lost, giving us a idea of the magnitude of our loss. We can only imagine what it actually held, as through time, the knowledge of the ancients slipped away in disaster after disaster.
It's heartbreaking to know all that knowledge has been lost. Such a passion and love for preserving history was poured into this library. It really is a tragedy the way it was lost and the total lack of respect or care for this wonderous collection and knowledge.
The importance of libraries cannot be overestimated. My interest in science and history were sparked by browsing through the open stacks of the main branch of Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh. It was the internet of its day for many. Indeed, the marble stair treads are deeply worn by the footsteps of millions.
People forget that the whole reason Harvard has its place as the preeminent institution of higher learning in the USA is because at the time of its founding, the initial endowment consisted of John Harvard's personal library, which contained more volumes than all other books in the colonies combined [ie, it was BIG.] As Stonewall Jackson would say "They got there fustest with the mostest..." And the rest is, as they say, history! ;-)
That was amazing. I've always had a deep interest in what really happened to the Alexandria Library. I love going to the library to this day, and I'm 52, soon 53, years old. I love being able to just browse the isles of books and I love the quiet. Our town's library is a bit of a historic building which makes me love it more. And, I still love actual books. I love to turn the pages, love the feel of a good book in my hands. Loved seeing Mrs. History give this presentation. You should do more 😊😊😊.
This video is amazing. It kept me engaged the entire time. I had read multiple comments about the History Guy's wife, Mrs. History Guy, to be very well loved by the viewers. And this being the first video that I've watched with her hosting, I can understand %100, why those people had said so. I can respect the fact that she prefers being behind the camera instead of in front of it. But Wowwie! She has such a sweet and engaging disposition. I genuinely enjoy watching her hosting the videos also. BTW, I'm loving the bow tie you're rocking, Mrs. History Guy. 😊 Thank you, for doing this fully engaging and educational video. You two are a super sweet and cute couple. I wish you both the best. Take care.
Thank you for giving this topic the attention it deserves! As tragic as it is, the tale of the loss of the library has become an important lesson about the importance of preserving the world's knowledge.
Thank you, Mrs History Guy! I am also a big fan of public libraries and use them weekly. The Library of Alexandria is a favorite topic and I loved this History That Needs to be Remembered episode immensely.
I can't think of a better way to start the day than seeing your wonderful "read" on the story of this lost library. What a treat to see Ms History Guy, her cool bow tie and even one of the History Cats! 10/10 a very gripping edition indeed! Thanks for a great video and the head's up I got from your Patreon page! Gotta go now, I need to return some overdue books....
As the spouse of a teacher/librarian, father to a fan of the Netflix special, The Librarians and faithful patron of our local tome repository, I adored this special episode. I had not yet had the privilege of hearing Mrs. History Guy but am happy to have finally done so. Kudos. Have you ever done an episode on the Battle of Valcor Island on Lake Champlain. We have several wonderful museums here on the Vermont side to that end. Might be . . . History worth Remembering.
Hey Mrs. History Guy (and History Cat!) It is impossible to k ow the impact of the loss of the Library of Alexandria. While I am a pastor and ardent fan of ”History that deserves to be remembered” (a terrific tagline I might add), I am also a student of koine Greek and ancient Hebrew. I too four years of the Greek in my first seminary and threes years of Hebrew. This library fascinated me since I was a child and read a book of the ”A Great Fire at the Library” many years ago. While our bodies wear out and our minds sometime ”go” our written words, even in the internet remain forever. There is no limit to their timeliness. The written works for centuries was considered foolishness to many as it is believed that ninty.eight percent of the world at that time could not read anything! That is a terrible number however, humanity was more agricultural at that time so reading was thought of as aristocracy. I love books. I'm one of my many moves the moving company ”lost” five boxes. In those lost boxes were many booknbut ones had a particular meaning. It was a book on the proper pronunciation in Koine Greek. Boring to 99.998% if the word, it was precious to me. Why? Because one of my many professors was its author! He was a major player in my life and a great deal of who I am is because of his influence. That life is a history that deserves to be remembered. The book wants widely popular amongst those in the chosen ”line of work” lol. However, he helped so many people in his life. He truly played out the ”Golden Rule” in his life and we who knew him were much better for that opportunity. Books are important. They, in fact, are vital. Without them, our technical age could come quickly to an end one day. Imagine one fairly large nuclear device launched by an enemy nation aimed at a specific point of sky near the east coast of the United States. It detonates tend of thousands of feet above the earth. A white flash. A large rumble. Perhaps some people are temporarily blinded. No one does. However. Almost every circuit, outlet, powerline, fuse panel, cannot work because of the devices E.M.P., electromagnetic pulse, of the weapon. It will take decades to repair. What do we do then for information, research, and getting the correct farm animals in the right barn on Farmville!? (Hey, my priorities are in order, right? LOL!). We must fall back on books to look things up and guess what? We might have to actually learn to talk to people once again face-to-face. Oh, the tragedies! 😊 LOVE this channel! You guys truly understand the role history plays in our lives and the need to study such events as to learn the errors and try not to repeat it! My apologies this is a tad bit lengthy, however, just a simple ”thumbs up” didn't seem appropriate for such a valued and historic topic! What a loss tors to history and history buffs alike! It boggles the minds to the works that were losses in that fire, whenever it occurred. Thank you for a quick journey through this traffic event! Say hi to the History Cat for me!
My wife has always wanted to be a Librarian, but there are so many that work in the library for free, it’s just not a possibility. So, she volunteers her time and reads as many books as possible.
B R O V O young lady !!! How impressive are the MASTER STORYTELLER'S that can bring B A C K into your lost history in a way that you REALLY want to experience " HISTORY THAT DESERVES TO BE REMEMBERED " and truly involves A L L of us. Tank's History Guy for turning on the LIGHT of ENLIGHTENMENT for all . 😻✌😎
You should do something on Hypatia! Highly fictionalized history at this point but there's something to be said about the legacy she managed to achieve.
This is the 2nd episode that I've seen presented by Mrs. History Guy. Not only a fascinating subject, but also well -presented! And the sound quality is better than the other episode I saw. Thank you!
It took a lot of effort to establish the collections and treat them as a national treasure. The power of information and literacy divided classes of people then, just as it does today. Good presentation!
This topic has always fascinated me and arguably it was the greatest tragedy to yet strike humanity. *Great* presentation & truly a pleasure to 'meet' Mrs. THG. You have the most beautiful and expressive eyes I've ever seen !!
Thank you, l have been a student of history since l was young....Years and decades ago. I believe that this is the very best history podcasts. So once again thank you, please stay happy and healthy during this pandemic and God Bless you.
Always good to see you Mrs. History Guy! I really wanted to know more about the history of the library of Alexandria. And you published this video on my birthday two years ago. Thanks!
Great story and presentation. It is always an eternal shame that the enormous ongoing efforts and artifacts of our knowledge and history are slowly lost over time. Oh for the perfect preservation media that would endure for eternity without the endless copying of copies...
I realize you posted a year ago, but here goes. So let's say the perfect media is discovered and utilized. we manage to copy everything needed to rebuild our technology. a necessary part of that would be a description of that technology and what it did, before getting into the designs and theories of operation. we would describe airplanes, cell phones, cars, computers, television, etc. What happens in a few centuries after technology is lost? eventually, if things go right, someone will emerge who is able to translate the ancient text into whatever current language is in use. once it is translated, here is what will happen….someone will decide that it is too fantastic and we were describing our mythological gods. everything is ritualistic and the entire thing is religious text. I don't know enough to suggest an opinion about it, but in Hindu culture there is a book that describes aircraft called Vimana. here is a quote from Wikipedia: "Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. " What is described in the Hindu text includes aircraft, wars, nuclear weapons, and probably other things that sound familiar to the modern mind. What little I know about it suggests it is a history book, not a religious text. Could a 747 not be described as a flying palace? Could an F-16 be considered a flying chariot? We have modern equivalents of all these things, but does anyone take these Hindu texts seriously? of course not, since we are so much smarter than anyone else who ever lived, right? people 3000 years ago were so stupid that all they could build were primitive stone structures like the pyramids. (in case you missed it, that was sarcasm. We still don't know how they built the pyramids or a whole list of other ancient artifacts. or why---if we don't understand it, it MUST be religious, right? If you look into it objectively, the ancients seem to have known a lot of things we still don't.) So let's re-read the above quote: Airplanes are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in American texts and English epics." When we go thru another dark age, history and technology books will be destroyed as "witchcraft." America will become as legendary as Atlantis. where WAS America, anyway? we think it existed on the western coast of the northern continent, but there is no water in that area. People near the Mississippi river claim to be descendants of Americans, too. and so on, and so forth. Our skyscrapers will be nothing but distorted legends, having rusted away over the centuries. our roads will grow over and the asphalt and concrete crumbled to nothing. what will be left will be made out of items that don't rust or crumble. Even things like silver and gold items will disappear due to corrosion or being re-used for precious metals. Only stone structures will remain, or mountain tunnels, or the like. Perfect medium or not, hardly anyone in the future will believe that we did any of this. After all, the Americans back then were primitives and we are so much smarter today, right? After all, we have muskets! And if such a hypothetical ancient library was discovered, would it ever see the light of day, or would it be snatched up by the military? Would it sit in the library of some collector of antique books? It would be a miracle if ANY of our knowledge remains even 500 years from now. The odds against it getting into the proper hands to be properly utilized are astronomical. We think we are so much smarter than the ancients. They may have actually been smarter than us, no way to know. But one thing is for sure, stupidity remains unchanged.
@@sharpbends and I would agree, but the human stupidity factor remains. and someone can always hide the perfect media from the world. Human nature. I personally would love to know what ancient information was lost at Alexandria. It is a tragedy. however, all knowledge is lost by and by and has to be rediscovered anew. aside, I wonder what is hidden in the libraries under the Vatican? what I hear is hardly anyone gets to go there, particularly Protestants. Ah well, que serra serra.
Awesome video on the Library of Alexandria I had always wondered about it and what really happened to it ! Thank you for a great video and history lesson that I had longed to know about ! Please keep history alive !
The decline of the Library of Alexandria was a huge loss to the World. Thank you Ms History for the history of that great institution. Nice bow tie. Also nice History Cat, so appropriate for Egypt.
Keep up the great work!!! A couple of facts associated with the Library of Alexandria worth mentioning: 1. The Old Testament was codified in Greek at the Library through the translation of the Seventy (Septuagint). 2. In the hellenistic world there was such a competition over the acquisition of literary works, that Ptolemaic Egypt banned the export of papyrus, leading to the perfection of alternative scripture materials, such as goat skin. The modern word "parchment" (in Greek "περγαμηνή") derives from Pergamon, another hellenistic kingdom in Asia Minor which regarded equally scientific knowledge as a commodity and developed its own library using parchment.
Simply outstanding! Your passion and storytelling pulled me in and kept me in suspense. It's always been a topic of interest to me and I'm so pleased that y'all did a video on it. Thank you both so much and God bless y'all, my friends!
A thumbs up to the "History Cat" for making an appearance. As for the library of Alexandria, I thought the movie "National Treasure" explained that... ;-)
It is always a great pleasure to see Ms. History make an appearance on the channel. What a fantastically detailed history of the Great Library of Alexandria; I've never seen the like! Many, many thanks, Ms. History - you are truly a credit to the profession of historian.
First time I've seen Mrs. THG. The bow tie is a nice touch. Kudos to you both for being the go to source for tidbits of information being presented professionally.
Thank you, Ms History, for your evocative account of the Great Library and of its influence on modern day libraries. Its history illustrates how importance the culture of learning and scholarship is and its vulnerability to the destructive forces of irrationality and fanaticism. A more recent example of this is the destruction of the library at Leuven in 1914.
Who would be willing to put a dislike on a channel about historical events? It's not like it's an opinion, debatable philosophy, or a what if scenario. It's a historical summary.
👍👍 My father's family were publishers, pre-depression, the family library started with them. The tradition continues, so far, with me. I can only hope that the tradition continues with my children.
If I could travel back in time, it would be very interesting to copy as many scrolls as I could in The Great Library of Alexandria. What treasures would there be?
This was possibly one of the better small documentaries for sure even longer ones never had this much depth that I know of. Thank you for this one this is now one of my favorite ones😎 P.S. Ms History you are great!
Fantastic video, MS History! Such a tragic lost for mankind, and yet, such an influence. Thank you for remembering it. I love how you hair matches that bow tie! Well done!
Imagine if they've been wrong all these years and that they found it....WITH all the scrolls and everything, hidden in a different location, what a sensation that would be and what it could possibly unlock about our history....a thought that often pop up in my head! Excellent video! 👍🏻👌🏻👏🏻
That was excellent! Dare I suggest a segment by " History Kitty" complete with bow tie on the important part cats have played throughout history. Of course it would have to be done using subtitles as very few of us can comprehend the exact meanings of meows. Perhaps for April 1st next year?
Why are predators kept as pets ? Dogs, cats, ferrets ( painting of lady with weasel ). Cats made agriiculture profitable. lnca graves with large rodent skeletons show they lacked suitable cats. The ship's cat. Felix, Sylvester, and Claude.
There is a recent paper out discussing the defacing of Egyptian statuary. It put forth an interesting theory: the removal of noses was a way to kill the spirit inhabiting the statue.
I've always dreamed of having my own library ❤. A big room, floor to ceiling bookshelves, full of books, the book nooks I've made, my antiques and collected oddities.
In his series Cosmos, Carl Sagan said that according to some estimates, the loss of the library set back humanity anywhere from 500 to possibly a 1,000 years. Mind-boggling when you think about it. Excellent vid History Gal. Dig the bow tie. Looks great! This channel's perfect for history nerds like me, and you're a big part of that. Thank you for all you do. (Btw, nice cat).
Carl Sagan mentioned the library in the original Cosmos series. He lamented that the history of the world up to that point was an example of the great lost works of antiquity.
Great video thank you both of you I'm reminded of a history teacher from high school that was passionate about history and would often over explan the lesson. To this day I can still remember his speeches and parodies I aced his class no problem
Super clarifying. I never got it till this. All the Ptolemeic pieces make it fit what has been much to condensed and blended down; till it doesn't really make sense. I knew that it was a gradual process, but your presentation is this channel's benchmark. Thank You. Nice hair color.
Ms. History could deliver any lines that well and make people cry. On top of the level of artistic power, this is a more compelling, currently relevant story than the end I previously was led to believe befell the Library of Alexandria at the point that Caesar burned (part of) it. The destruction through neglect of the Wonder of the World that was the Library of Alexandria is a tale we must remember when facing our civic duties today.
Wow - Totally cool. I've always wondered about the library details. This was an excellent discourse on the subject. Thanks so much, Heidi! You did a great job and certainly maintained the high standards of History Dude. Hope you will appear again. (and Mr. Meow)
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel public speaking, the only thing most people fear more than death. I can respect her choice, but we are certainly missing out as she is a great host. Luckily we still have you until the lovely misses history guy becomes more accustomed to being in front of the camera.
Great to see you again Mrs history guy! Hg was sounding a little horse yesterday, pray he is doing well! Keep up the great work your whole family does!
"TREASURE" by Clive Cussler is a great novel about the search for and discovery of most of the library's contents that had actually been saved and moved 'somewhere' after a very exciting search. One of my favorite Cussler books.
Today's public libraries are in a state of steep decline. Have to make room for more computers. Can't have those pesky old book things getting in the way. I'll take a book over an electronic monitor any day. A book will float if you drop it in water.
Danny Nicastro It will. And when it does the people who don't know how to function without it will be lost. The internet is very fragile, as are cell phone communication systems. My library and map collection aren't vulnerable to electromagnetic pulse.
* I heard that if someone would've actually yelled "FIRE!" in the library - instead of just whispering it - they could've saved an entire section. It was probably lit to cover an overdue rental.
I cannot wrap my brain around the loss of all that knowledge ... Mrs. History Guy, I prefer to think of you as The History Gal. 🙂 Love the bow tie too!🤩
I have heard about the Library of Alexandria and about the fire that was the only thing I've ever heard. Now I know more about it. Great history lesson keep them coming. Get'er done.😀
Well done and interesting. My wife is a librarian in a grade school and she loves books but most of all she loves seeing children reading. I am just the tech guy who keeps the library software up to date.
Reminds me, I gotta return those scrolls my late fees are gonna be biblical!
GOD HELP YOU...😊😊😊😊
Funny🤑
@JazznRealHipHop >>> Does this make you an *_"INTERNET SCROLL????"_*
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
HA!😜
LMAO...one of the best comments I've ever witnessed on TH-cam. Thank you
I talk about the loss of the library of Alexandria all the time as one of the great tragedies in the ancient world.... So sad. So much mindless loss that can never be regained.
The library of Alexandria & that of Bagdad by the Mongols
Don't forget the Chinese.
Me too.
@@Robert_Keel what about them??
@@ThyerHazard And I decree,"Doth Dees Nuts"
I've spent so many hours in libraries. So many of my fondest memories we're in libraries. Thank you for keeping history alive.
Nice to see you again! The loss of the library of Alexandra is even more tragic, because of ancient writers and men of letters commenting on what was lost, giving us a idea of the magnitude of our loss. We can only imagine what it actually held, as through time, the knowledge of the ancients slipped away in disaster after disaster.
It's heartbreaking to know all that knowledge has been lost. Such a passion and love for preserving history was poured into this library. It really is a tragedy the way it was lost and the total lack of respect or care for this wonderous collection and knowledge.
The Library of Alexandria has always fascinated me - thank you for this information!
The importance of libraries cannot be overestimated. My interest in science and history were sparked by browsing through the open stacks of the main branch of Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh. It was the internet of its day for many. Indeed, the marble stair treads are deeply worn by the footsteps of millions.
People forget that the whole reason Harvard has its place as the preeminent institution of higher learning in the USA is because at the time of its founding, the initial endowment consisted of John Harvard's personal library, which contained more volumes than all other books in the colonies combined [ie, it was BIG.] As Stonewall Jackson would say "They got there fustest with the mostest..." And the rest is, as they say, history! ;-)
Parallel libraries?! Never heard that part before, thanks. That made me smile!
@Hannibal at the Gates Thanks, I did look into it further and for once I was happy with what I found!
That was amazing. I've always had a deep interest in what really happened to the Alexandria Library. I love going to the library to this day, and I'm 52, soon 53, years old. I love being able to just browse the isles of books and I love the quiet. Our town's library is a bit of a historic building which makes me love it more. And, I still love actual books. I love to turn the pages, love the feel of a good book in my hands. Loved seeing Mrs. History give this presentation. You should do more 😊😊😊.
This video is amazing. It kept me engaged the entire time.
I had read multiple comments about the History Guy's wife, Mrs. History Guy, to be very well loved by the viewers. And this being the first video that I've watched with her hosting, I can understand %100, why those people had said so.
I can respect the fact that she prefers being behind the camera instead of in front of it. But Wowwie! She has such a sweet and engaging disposition. I genuinely enjoy watching her hosting the videos also.
BTW, I'm loving the bow tie you're rocking, Mrs. History Guy. 😊 Thank you, for doing this fully engaging and educational video.
You two are a super sweet and cute couple. I wish you both the best. Take care.
The house of wisdom in Baghdad was another similar tragedy. It was burned by Mongol forces during the seige of Baghdad
Never heard of it. I'll have to look that up sometime.
Thank you for giving this topic the attention it deserves!
As tragic as it is, the tale of the loss of the library has become an important lesson about the importance of preserving the world's knowledge.
History Gal and History Cat! Absolutely perfect pairing.
You forgot History Bow Tie for the Trifecta. I hope Purrito has one as well
@@CommodoreNapalm Nah, it's always best not to try to make your cat wear a bow, tie, shirt, etc. unless you want to bleed...
@@davidhollenshead4892 You've met my cat?
Thank you, Mrs History Guy! I am also a big fan of public libraries and use them weekly. The Library of Alexandria is a favorite topic and I loved this History That Needs to be Remembered episode immensely.
I can't think of a better way to start the day than seeing your wonderful "read" on the story of this lost library. What a treat to see Ms History Guy, her cool bow tie and even one of the History Cats! 10/10 a very gripping edition indeed! Thanks for a great video and the head's up I got from your Patreon page! Gotta go now, I need to return some overdue books....
I was a librarian in High School. Azle Tx. '83. Calmest and most precious hours of my life were spent there. Thanks to Mrs.Fox!
As the spouse of a teacher/librarian, father to a fan of the Netflix special, The Librarians and faithful patron of our local tome repository, I adored this special episode.
I had not yet had the privilege of hearing Mrs. History Guy but am happy to have finally done so. Kudos.
Have you ever done an episode on the Battle of Valcor Island on Lake Champlain. We have several wonderful museums here on the Vermont side to that end. Might be . . . History worth Remembering.
Thank You, as I have always interested in the Library. Great to see you again.
Mrs. History Guy has done another excellent job of presenting a very interesting part of history.
Hey History Gal, top of the morning to you and HG. Now I'm listening!
Is it History Gal or Herstory Guy ?
Nice cat. Not a Hissstory cat.
@@greygibson2443 A purrfect companion.
Mrs H G
That is an e mail tag that deserves to be remembered laughing my bloody ass off
Hey Mrs. History Guy (and History Cat!)
It is impossible to k ow the impact of the loss of the Library of Alexandria. While I am a pastor and ardent fan of ”History that deserves to be remembered” (a terrific tagline I might add), I am also a student of koine Greek and ancient Hebrew. I too four years of the Greek in my first seminary and threes years of Hebrew. This library fascinated me since I was a child and read a book of the ”A Great Fire at the Library” many years ago.
While our bodies wear out and our minds sometime ”go” our written words, even in the internet remain forever. There is no limit to their timeliness. The written works for centuries was considered foolishness to many as it is believed that ninty.eight percent of the world at that time could not read anything! That is a terrible number however, humanity was more agricultural at that time so reading was thought of as aristocracy.
I love books. I'm one of my many moves the moving company ”lost” five boxes. In those lost boxes were many booknbut ones had a particular meaning. It was a book on the proper pronunciation in Koine Greek. Boring to 99.998% if the word, it was precious to me. Why? Because one of my many professors was its author! He was a major player in my life and a great deal of who I am is because of his influence. That life is a history that deserves to be remembered. The book wants widely popular amongst those in the chosen ”line of work” lol. However, he helped so many people in his life. He truly played out the ”Golden Rule” in his life and we who knew him were much better for that opportunity.
Books are important. They, in fact, are vital. Without them, our technical age could come quickly to an end one day. Imagine one fairly large nuclear device launched by an enemy nation aimed at a specific point of sky near the east coast of the United States. It detonates tend of thousands of feet above the earth. A white flash. A large rumble. Perhaps some people are temporarily blinded. No one does. However. Almost every circuit, outlet, powerline, fuse panel, cannot work because of the devices E.M.P., electromagnetic pulse, of the weapon. It will take decades to repair.
What do we do then for information, research, and getting the correct farm animals in the right barn on Farmville!? (Hey, my priorities are in order, right? LOL!). We must fall back on books to look things up and guess what? We might have to actually learn to talk to people once again face-to-face. Oh, the tragedies! 😊
LOVE this channel! You guys truly understand the role history plays in our lives and the need to study such events as to learn the errors and try not to repeat it!
My apologies this is a tad bit lengthy, however, just a simple ”thumbs up” didn't seem appropriate for such a valued and historic topic! What a loss tors to history and history buffs alike! It boggles the minds to the works that were losses in that fire, whenever it occurred.
Thank you for a quick journey through this traffic event! Say hi to the History Cat for me!
My wife has always wanted to be a Librarian, but there are so many that work in the library for free, it’s just not a possibility. So, she volunteers her time and reads as many books as possible.
B R O V O young lady !!!
How impressive are the MASTER STORYTELLER'S that can bring
B A C K into your lost history in a way that you REALLY want to experience " HISTORY THAT DESERVES TO BE REMEMBERED " and truly involves A L L of us. Tank's History Guy for turning on the LIGHT of ENLIGHTENMENT for all . 😻✌😎
You should do something on Hypatia! Highly fictionalized history at this point but there's something to be said about the legacy she managed to achieve.
This is the 2nd episode that I've seen presented by Mrs. History Guy. Not only a fascinating subject, but also well -presented! And the sound quality is better than the other episode I saw. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great Video! So much knowledge lost of the old world.
All those books, all that study, and yet after the first fire nobody thought of keeping a fire brigade nearby?
It took a lot of effort to establish the collections and treat them as a national treasure. The power of information and literacy divided classes of people then, just as it does today. Good presentation!
This topic has always fascinated me and arguably it was the greatest tragedy to yet strike humanity. *Great* presentation & truly a pleasure to 'meet' Mrs. THG. You have the most beautiful and expressive eyes I've ever seen !!
We definitely need an episode about egyptian cats presented by the History Cat. Great episode thanks!
Thomas Le Gal ...wonderful idea. Those beautiful Abyssinian Cats.
My Egyptian Mau, Elsa, would love that! 😸
Thank you, l have been a student of history since l was young....Years and decades ago. I believe that this is the very best history podcasts. So once again thank you, please stay happy and healthy during this pandemic and God Bless you.
This episode should be called History Gal. Great information thank you
Too late, there already is a History Gal.
th-cam.com/channels/OOKnYn6gNjawRrs08svSyg.html
Always good to see you Mrs. History Guy! I really wanted to know more about the history of the library of Alexandria. And you published this video on my birthday two years ago. Thanks!
Her voice is calming but yet I am remembering all her words and learning.
Truly one of the greatest tragedies of history. PS - Biggles said "Hello." to The History Cat.
Such an awesome couple!! As a grad student in history I can say without reservation this is one of my absolute favorite channels on TH-cam!
Great story and presentation. It is always an eternal shame that the enormous ongoing efforts and artifacts of our knowledge and history are slowly lost over time. Oh for the perfect preservation media that would endure for eternity without the endless copying of copies...
I realize you posted a year ago, but here goes. So let's say the perfect media is discovered and utilized. we manage to copy everything needed to rebuild our technology. a necessary part of that would be a description of that technology and what it did, before getting into the designs and theories of operation. we would describe airplanes, cell phones, cars, computers, television, etc. What happens in a few centuries after technology is lost? eventually, if things go right, someone will emerge who is able to translate the ancient text into whatever current language is in use. once it is translated, here is what will happen….someone will decide that it is too fantastic and we were describing our mythological gods. everything is ritualistic and the entire thing is religious text.
I don't know enough to suggest an opinion about it, but in Hindu culture there is a book that describes aircraft called Vimana. here is a quote from Wikipedia:
"Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. "
What is described in the Hindu text includes aircraft, wars, nuclear weapons, and probably other things that sound familiar to the modern mind. What little I know about it suggests it is a history book, not a religious text. Could a 747 not be described as a flying palace? Could an F-16 be considered a flying chariot? We have modern equivalents of all these things, but does anyone take these Hindu texts seriously? of course not, since we are so much smarter than anyone else who ever lived, right? people 3000 years ago were so stupid that all they could build were primitive stone structures like the pyramids. (in case you missed it, that was sarcasm. We still don't know how they built the pyramids or a whole list of other ancient artifacts. or why---if we don't understand it, it MUST be religious, right? If you look into it objectively, the ancients seem to have known a lot of things we still don't.)
So let's re-read the above quote: Airplanes are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in American texts and English epics."
When we go thru another dark age, history and technology books will be destroyed as "witchcraft." America will become as legendary as Atlantis. where WAS America, anyway? we think it existed on the western coast of the northern continent, but there is no water in that area. People near the Mississippi river claim to be descendants of Americans, too. and so on, and so forth.
Our skyscrapers will be nothing but distorted legends, having rusted away over the centuries. our roads will grow over and the asphalt and concrete crumbled to nothing. what will be left will be made out of items that don't rust or crumble. Even things like silver and gold items will disappear due to corrosion or being re-used for precious metals. Only stone structures will remain, or mountain tunnels, or the like.
Perfect medium or not, hardly anyone in the future will believe that we did any of this. After all, the Americans back then were primitives and we are so much smarter today, right? After all, we have muskets!
And if such a hypothetical ancient library was discovered, would it ever see the light of day, or would it be snatched up by the military? Would it sit in the library of some collector of antique books? It would be a miracle if ANY of our knowledge remains even 500 years from now. The odds against it getting into the proper hands to be properly utilized are astronomical.
We think we are so much smarter than the ancients. They may have actually been smarter than us, no way to know. But one thing is for sure, stupidity remains unchanged.
@@yestfmf The perfect preservation media would be one that cannot be (easily) destroyed by mere man.
@@sharpbends and I would agree, but the human stupidity factor remains. and someone can always hide the perfect media from the world. Human nature.
I personally would love to know what ancient information was lost at Alexandria. It is a tragedy. however, all knowledge is lost by and by and has to be rediscovered anew.
aside, I wonder what is hidden in the libraries under the Vatican? what I hear is hardly anyone gets to go there, particularly Protestants. Ah well, que serra serra.
Awesome video on the Library of Alexandria I had always wondered about it and what really happened to it ! Thank you for a great video and history lesson that I had longed to know about ! Please keep history alive !
I was hoping this video would come out at some point.
The decline of the Library of Alexandria was a huge loss to the World. Thank you Ms History for the history of that great institution. Nice bow tie. Also nice History Cat, so appropriate for Egypt.
Hey Mrs. History guy, good to see you. Love the bow tie, keep up the good work, both of you.
Keep up the great work!!! A couple of facts associated with the Library of Alexandria worth mentioning: 1. The Old Testament was codified in Greek at the Library through the translation of the Seventy (Septuagint). 2. In the hellenistic world there was such a competition over the acquisition of literary works, that Ptolemaic Egypt banned the export of papyrus, leading to the perfection of alternative scripture materials, such as goat skin. The modern word "parchment" (in Greek "περγαμηνή") derives from Pergamon, another hellenistic kingdom in Asia Minor which regarded equally scientific knowledge as a commodity and developed its own library using parchment.
Simply outstanding! Your passion and storytelling pulled me in and kept me in suspense. It's always been a topic of interest to me and I'm so pleased that y'all did a video on it. Thank you both so much and God bless y'all, my friends!
Indeed.
A thumbs up to the "History Cat" for making an appearance. As for the library of Alexandria, I thought the movie "National Treasure" explained that... ;-)
Movie not accurate.
Excellent presentation. I love your mannerisms, your honest enthusiasm.
The best short history of the library I’ve ever seen or heard. Thanks!
The bow tie was a great touch! Very nice video. Thanx!
It is always a great pleasure to see Ms. History make an appearance on the channel. What a fantastically detailed history of the Great Library of Alexandria; I've never seen the like! Many, many thanks, Ms. History - you are truly a credit to the profession of historian.
First time I've seen Mrs. THG. The bow tie is a nice touch. Kudos to you both for being the go to source for tidbits of information being presented professionally.
Thank you, Ms History, for your evocative account of the Great Library and of its influence on modern day libraries. Its history illustrates how importance the culture of learning and scholarship is and its vulnerability to the destructive forces of irrationality and fanaticism. A more recent example of this is the destruction of the library at Leuven in 1914.
Who would be willing to put a dislike on a channel about historical events? It's not like it's an opinion, debatable philosophy, or a what if scenario. It's a historical summary.
👍👍
My father's family were publishers, pre-depression, the family library started with them. The tradition continues, so far, with me. I can only hope that the tradition continues with my children.
If I could travel back in time, it would be very interesting to copy as many scrolls as I could in The Great Library of Alexandria. What treasures would there be?
This was possibly one of the better small documentaries for sure even longer ones never had this much depth that I know of.
Thank you for this one this is now one of my favorite ones😎
P.S. Ms History you are great!
Fantastic video, MS History! Such a tragic lost for mankind, and yet, such an influence. Thank you for remembering it. I love how you hair matches that bow tie! Well done!
Imagine if they've been wrong all these years and that they found it....WITH all the scrolls and everything, hidden in a different location, what a sensation that would be and what it could possibly unlock about our history....a thought that often pop up in my head!
Excellent video! 👍🏻👌🏻👏🏻
Amazing. Thank you
That was excellent! Dare I suggest a segment by " History Kitty" complete with bow tie on the important part cats have played throughout history. Of course it would have to be done using subtitles as very few of us can comprehend the exact meanings of meows. Perhaps for April 1st next year?
Guest appearance of The History Cat too!!
Why are predators kept as pets ? Dogs, cats, ferrets ( painting of lady with weasel ). Cats made agriiculture profitable. lnca graves with large rodent skeletons show they lacked suitable cats. The ship's cat. Felix, Sylvester, and Claude.
Why are there yellow canaries ? Haldane's Rule. What is sex of a mule ?
They're multiplying!!! And their delivery is still very engaging!
Would you please cover the defacement of the great sphinx
There is a recent paper out discussing the defacing of Egyptian statuary. It put forth an interesting theory: the removal of noses was a way to kill the spirit inhabiting the statue.
I've always dreamed of having my own library ❤. A big room, floor to ceiling bookshelves, full of books, the book nooks I've made, my antiques and collected oddities.
In his series Cosmos, Carl Sagan said that according to some estimates, the loss of the library set back humanity anywhere from 500 to possibly a 1,000 years. Mind-boggling when you think about it. Excellent vid History Gal. Dig the bow tie. Looks great! This channel's perfect for history nerds like me, and you're a big part of that. Thank you for all you do. (Btw, nice cat).
Proud to say my Mother was a head reference librarian for over twenty years.
Carl Sagan mentioned the library in the original Cosmos series. He lamented that the history of the world up to that point was an example of the great lost works of antiquity.
Great video thank you both of you I'm reminded of a history teacher from high school that was passionate about history and would often over explan the lesson. To this day I can still remember his speeches and parodies I aced his class no problem
Well done, Mrs. History Guy! This is the first video I've seen you present. Nice to see the History Cat, too.
This is her third episode.
The bow-tie is ESSENTIAL! Excellent presentation.
Super clarifying. I never got it till this. All the Ptolemeic pieces make it fit what has been much to condensed and blended down; till it doesn't really make sense. I knew that it was a gradual process, but your presentation is this channel's benchmark. Thank You. Nice hair color.
Ms. History could deliver any lines that well and make people cry. On top of the level of artistic power, this is a more compelling, currently relevant story than the end I previously was led to believe befell the Library of Alexandria at the point that Caesar burned (part of) it. The destruction through neglect of the Wonder of the World that was the Library of Alexandria is a tale we must remember when facing our civic duties today.
Best channel on you tube! MHO...
Bill Pitzer ....not only in your opinion, and mine...but as an established fact. Truly. From PhillyPA.
Wow - Totally cool. I've always wondered about the library details. This was an excellent discourse on the subject. Thanks so much, Heidi! You did a great job and certainly maintained the high standards of History Dude. Hope you will appear again. (and Mr. Meow)
Great segment on a great subject! i dig your enthusiasm, looking forward to your next turn on this channel!
Very well done, Ms. History Guy!
I WANT TO SEE MORE OF MRS. HISTORY GUY
it is really up to her when she presents. She doesn't prefer this side of the camera.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel public speaking, the only thing most people fear more than death.
I can respect her choice, but we are certainly missing out as she is a great host. Luckily we still have you until the lovely misses history guy becomes more accustomed to being in front of the camera.
I love that you made an informed video avoiding the sensationalism of some narratives, including that of Carl Sagan.
Great to see you again Mrs history guy! Hg was sounding a little horse yesterday, pray he is doing well! Keep up the great work your whole family does!
"TREASURE" by Clive Cussler is a great novel about the search for and discovery of most of the library's contents that had actually been saved and moved 'somewhere' after a very exciting search. One of my favorite Cussler books.
Thank you Mrs. H.G.
Just devastating, hard to let my head fathom it without dread of loss. Thank you, well done.
FANTASTIC CHOICE OF TOPIC!!!! i'm in total agreement with you
Excellent topic that is near and dear to my heart....thank you🔥
New History Cat?
That is Pookie. He was actually the first of the history cats to make it on screen.
VERY Nice personal touch Mrs. History added at the end this episode 🏆
What a fantastic learning lesson. I really enjoyed this lesson!
Today's public libraries are in a state of steep decline. Have to make room for more computers. Can't have those pesky old book things getting in the way.
I'll take a book over an electronic monitor any day. A book will float if you drop it in water.
Carlton Wilson ...right. Waiting for the day of the internet as we know it to go down!🤗🤣😂😁😀😆🤗🙄
Danny Nicastro It will. And when it does the people who don't know how to function without it will be lost. The internet is very fragile, as are cell phone communication systems. My library and map collection aren't vulnerable to electromagnetic pulse.
I absolutely love The History Gal! And she has a very pretty cat as well. Please come back more often! Keith L.
I've been waiting for this episode!!
This was fantastic ! Thank you
i thought the vatican was secretly hoarding the library?🍻
They probably are. Parts of it anyway. I'd sure love to know what their hiding in there.
* I heard that if someone would've actually yelled "FIRE!" in the library - instead of just whispering it - they could've saved an entire section. It was probably lit to cover an overdue rental.
When I was young, didn't have much of anything. But, I did have a local public library. 👍👍
I cannot wrap my brain around the loss of all that knowledge ...
Mrs. History Guy, I prefer to think of you as The History Gal. 🙂 Love the bow tie too!🤩
Outstanding presentation & research.
I don't want to be adopted, but I wish I was your neighbor. Some of the shelves in my cave look like yours, including a few hats.
Thank you Ms. History!
History in a house to hold history! I want to time travel to Alexandria!
EU Parliament just voted to burn our modern Great Library of Alexandria.
Well said.
I have heard about the Library of Alexandria and about the fire that was the only thing I've ever heard. Now I know more about it. Great history lesson keep them coming. Get'er done.😀
Ms History, thank you for this excellent presentation! Of all the channels to which I subscribe this is by far my favorite. Thank you again.
That's the problem with religion. It discourages thought.
All religions are not equal.... The greatest discoveries are by religious people thru history. Newton is one example.
@@Zichronot All religions are bullshit. They do nothing but promote tribalism ,racism and sexism.
@@grapeshot Don't be racist!
@@RonaldReaganRocks1 Don't be a conservative.
@@grapeshot Haha! Don't be a fucking bigoted, racist, anti-Jewish, anti-Christian liberal. Open your mind. Stop the hate!
Well done and interesting. My wife is a librarian in a grade school and she loves books but most of all she loves seeing children reading. I am just the tech guy who keeps the library software up to date.