Complete this title: The Rise and Fall of …
Most likely your answer was “the Roman Empire.” World history, after all, is all about those
people or countries known for their brute strength, i.e. Ghenghis Khan,
Napoleon or Alexander the Great.
But, history does offer other measures of greatness.
The Rise and Fall of Alexandria,
Birthplace of the Modern World provides one such alternative. While Alexandria may be named after the
epitome of military strength, its importance to the history of the “civilized”
world is based on knowledge.
Recently I read a great book titled The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt, about how so much of ancient
Greek culture was lost to the world. It
is largely the legacy of Alexandria that much of it also survived. The city, through the express design and force of will of its Ptolemy
rulers (the Greek Dynasty) choose to collect the knowledge of the world in one place. The Rise ... details: the selection of this northern Egyptian port
as Alexander the Great’s chosen foothold on North Africa, how after his death it rapidly became
the world’s first truly multi-cultural city and a practitioner of religious
tolerance, it’s Wonders -- The Great Library, and The Great Lighthouse – and its
many living legends, not the least of whom was Cleopatra. The Fall ... details: not one sudden catastrophe, but dozens of causes, including the advent of religious fundamentalism, of the Christian kind.
Great stuff if one is a history buff, and completely readable.
save this book for me
ReplyDelete