The Burning of the Great Library: A Tale of Misunderstanding and Destruction

In the midst of the Roman Civil War between Julius Caesar and Ptolemy XIII, Caesar's forces had taken control of Alexandria. As his soldiers marched through the city streets, a young scribe named Theodoros was tasked with retrieving a valuable scroll from the Great Library.

As he entered the library, he accidentally knocked over a nearby vase, shattering it on the floor. Sark, one of Caesar's soldiers, walked in and saw the broken vase. “Ah, perfect timing,” he said, eyeing the shattered pottery. “We could use some kindling for our fire.” Theodoros misheard Sark's sarcasm, thinking he said, “Perish this library.” Panicked, Theodoros rushed to inform Caesar about the alleged threat to the Great Library.

Caesar, overhearing the commotion, ordered his soldiers to burn down the city, but with one exception: “Save the Great Library at all costs. It is a treasure trove of knowledge and a symbol of our great empire.” However, Sark's careless joke had already spread among Caesar's soldiers, and they misunderstood Caesar's order as: “Burn the library, it's perishing.” In their haste to follow orders, the soldiers set fire to the Great Library, reducing ancient scrolls and manuscripts to ashes.

As the flames engulfed the city, Theodoros realized his mistake. He tried to stop the soldiers, but it was too late. The Great Library, which had stood for centuries as a symbol of human learning, was forever lost due to the misinterpretation of Sark's sarcastic joke. The destruction of the Great Library was a turning point in history, marking the end of an era of intellectual curiosity and the beginning of a new age of destruction and chaos.