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Libraries in the Ancient World
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.
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.
177 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
37 people are currently reading
2,044 people want to read
About the author
Lionel Casson
45books47followersLionel Casson was a classicist, professor emeritus at New York University, and a specialist in maritime history. He earned his B.A. in 1934 at New York University, and in 1936 became an assistant professor. He later earned his Ph.D. there during 1939. In 2005 he was awarded the Archaeological Institute of America Gold Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
January 21, 2025
Jan 20, 230pm ~~ Review asap.
Jan 21, 250pm ~~ This little book was fun, interesting, and dangerous.
Fun because I got a kick out of learning that ever since there were books, there have been Book People with our love of collecting.
Interesting because the author covered a ton of ground in just nine short chapters, from cuneiform tablets to parchment scrolls and codices; and the various ways Book People created to keep track of them and store them.
I must admit that the chapters about Rome got me a little cross-eyed, but that is from the intimidating names people had in those days. That's just me, other readers might not have the same issue.
I think I mainly enjoyed the sense of connection to all those ancient Book People. Just reading about their libraries made me happy.
But don't forget, the book is also dangerous. I have three overstuffed bookcases (and one semi-stuffed). Ever since page one, I have been fighting the urge to go play in the stacks.
Re-organizing my books will be a major project for Someday, but not any time soon. The good thing is I have a handy place in Bookcase #1 to re-shelve this title so that when it is time I can reread and get myself all fired up again!
Jan 21, 250pm ~~ This little book was fun, interesting, and dangerous.
Fun because I got a kick out of learning that ever since there were books, there have been Book People with our love of collecting.
Interesting because the author covered a ton of ground in just nine short chapters, from cuneiform tablets to parchment scrolls and codices; and the various ways Book People created to keep track of them and store them.
I must admit that the chapters about Rome got me a little cross-eyed, but that is from the intimidating names people had in those days. That's just me, other readers might not have the same issue.
I think I mainly enjoyed the sense of connection to all those ancient Book People. Just reading about their libraries made me happy.
But don't forget, the book is also dangerous. I have three overstuffed bookcases (and one semi-stuffed). Ever since page one, I have been fighting the urge to go play in the stacks.
Re-organizing my books will be a major project for Someday, but not any time soon. The good thing is I have a handy place in Bookcase #1 to re-shelve this title so that when it is time I can reread and get myself all fired up again!
December 26, 2024
تأريخ للكتابة و للمكتبة من المرحلة القديمة الى المرحلة الوسيطة.
ملاحظة لم يتم التطرق للمكتبة في الحضارة الأموية و العباس رغم أنها تدخل في التأطبر الزمني.
العمل هو لكل محبي التاريخ و خصوصا ما له علاقة بالقراءة و المكتبات خصوصا انه مكتوب بلغة سهلة ز ليست متخصصة .
ملاحظة لم يتم التطرق للمكتبة في الحضارة الأموية و العباس رغم أنها تدخل في التأطبر الزمني.
العمل هو لكل محبي التاريخ و خصوصا ما له علاقة بالقراءة و المكتبات خصوصا انه مكتوب بلغة سهلة ز ليست متخصصة .
November 10, 2015
Excellent book. I learned a lot. One of the reasons why the great library of Alexandria was so extensive was that the Ptolemies very nicely helped themselves to any original manuscript which came into port. The original was placed in the great library and the ship owner received a copy.
Greek libraries were mainly stacks for books, whereas the Romans indulged in learning in the big way. They often made a library a part of their bath complex, incorporating many facets of relaxation under one big roof.
The transition of books from cuneiform tablets and rolls of papyrus to codices and parchment was very interesting, as well. I can't imagine attempting to index the "books" in a library of clay tablets. It must have been an incredible task.
Greek libraries were mainly stacks for books, whereas the Romans indulged in learning in the big way. They often made a library a part of their bath complex, incorporating many facets of relaxation under one big roof.
The transition of books from cuneiform tablets and rolls of papyrus to codices and parchment was very interesting, as well. I can't imagine attempting to index the "books" in a library of clay tablets. It must have been an incredible task.
December 21, 2011
This was a fun short read (145 pages) about the evolution of libraries from the era of Sumerian clay tablets to the parchment codex of early Christian monasteries. Casson is an excellent researcher and writes in a lively style. He covers the funding and architecture of the buildings, the training and activities of library staff, acquisitions and production of books, and much more. Fascinating. Recommended for anyone who loves libraries.
May 4, 2021
Fascinating popular history of libraries from their beginnings in the ancient Near East to the Byzantine period with monastic and secular libraries. A fun quick read: from cuneiform tablets through scrolls to codices.
May 3, 2018
Libraries in the Ancient World contains a not too surprising round of historical libraries, including of course the Palace of Ashurbanipal and the Library of Alexandria, but nonetheless I found it interesting to read about exactly who libraries were for and how they worked in various societies. Casson’s style is engaging, and I found it just overall the kind of relaxing read about a thing I love that fills an excellent gap without being wildly exciting or revelatory.
I know that seems like faint praise, but I really can’t think of anything else to say! If you want to look at the history of libraries, this makes a good start.
I know that seems like faint praise, but I really can’t think of anything else to say! If you want to look at the history of libraries, this makes a good start.
February 4, 2015
A fascinating survey of book production, bookselling, and libraries from the earliest known collections in Mesopotamia through the end of the Roman Empire. Of course I was already aware of the great libraries at Alexandria (over half a million rolls) and Pergamum, which were basically academic libraries for scholars, but I wasn't aware that there were public libraries for the general public -- 29 in Rome alone by the early fourth century AD. Such a small percentage of the books survived the early Christian and Moslem depredations, it is really disheartening.
September 5, 2021
Casson provides a fascinating review of library development in the ancient Mediterranean. From the Near East to the Medieval world, he shows how writing and record keeping evolved from rock tablets and wax tablets, to parchment and papyrus. Libraries grew from personal (elite) possessions to public libraries during the Roman Empire and beyond. Casson writes in a highly readable style and presents the history in a non-academic way that makes it available and entertaining. Highly recommended for those interested in library history, ancient Mediterranean history, and the history of writing.
January 5, 2016
A very enjoyable read, and (surprisingly) hardly dry at all. But it is always disappointing when books purporting to be about "the ancient world" turn out to just be about Ancient Greece and Rome.
August 11, 2022
This was a well-written and accessible book about really how libraries started. I liked how Casson explained that they started mostly for the wealthy and that "books" (which were usually on scrolls or tablets) mostly kept records at first. I found it interesting that the public baths housed some of the first public libraries. I also found it interesting that the codex form (precursor to modern book binding) really didn't take off until the spread of Christianity and religious texts.
May 31, 2020
talvez esse livro tenha me pegado num momento ruim, mas não achei grandes coisas. sintético demais porém repleto de descrições desnecessárias e uma escrita bem qualquer coisa. rapidinho de ler, então não é ruim, além, é claro, das informações interessantes sobre a gênese da biblioteca como a conhecemos
May 11, 2024
Den härliga kan nog komplettera Bokens folk bra. Den handlar om bibliotek, skrifter och läsande under antiken vilket inkluderar tidig kristen tid och övergången till kodex i stället för skriftrullar för vissa typer av skrifter. Bokens folk innehåller lite om antiken men tar sitt avstamp i övergången från rullar till kodexer, därav bokens namn.
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June 22, 2022
Un libro de divulgación bien interesante, sobre cómo funcionaban las bibliotecas en Babilonia, Grecia y Roma y su transición a las bibliotecas monásticas cristianas.
February 25, 2017
My first job as a teenager was as an assistant librarian in a small library outside of Atlanta so for me, this book was a natural. I have always thought the loss of the library at Alexandria was one of the worst of calamities and after reading this, I am convinced of it. But Libraries in the Ancient World starts much earlier than that. The first collection that can accurately be called a library was that of King Ashurbanipal of Assyria in 648 BCE. Previous collections were either from temples or scribal schools and the information was limited to religious rites and hymns. By the time Ashurbanipal came along, libraries were developing cataloging and title pages (colophons) and some systems of organization. They also were plagued by the same things that modern ones are, i.e. late returns , desecrated books, and outright theft. Their method of dealing with these was a little different. On the backs of the clay tablets, scribes placed elaborate curses damning the thieves and all their progeny. No one knows how much more effective this was.
True Libraries go hand in hand with the development of a simple alphabet and a growing population of literate readers interested in many subjects. Libraries consisting of more than lists, receipts, or religious ceremonies developed among the Greeks and by 405 BCE, we have a large variety of drama and poetry along with histories and even cookbooks written on rolls of papyrus and compiled into "books", the Greek word for multiple scrolls or what we would call chapters. Along with libraries come booksellers and these also began in Greece. It is still Alexandria in Egypt that gets the nod as the first truly public library. The clientele would have been different than our own as only the highly educated scholars would have been able to read or interested in a literary life.
The story continues with innovations such as alphabetizing collections from Alexandria to creating libraries in Rome that featured actual reading rooms. In Rome, libraries were meant for a much larger class of people and were even built in the baths. Trajan's Library held some 20,000 rolls in two stories and consisted of the usual twin buildings (one for Greek works and one for Roman), was meant for readers and had several long tables for sitting and reading in the atria. The number is impressive until compared to the almost 500,000 at Alexandria and the 200,000 of Pergamon. They also gave the world the first critic, Polybius, who wrote works criticizing the works of almost everyone else.
This work is full of fascinating insights into the ancient world and its history of literacy and great efforts to spread it among their populations. The information extends to the 5th century CE and the development of codices and parchment and the changes that produced. Any reader or lover of books will enjoy this one.
True Libraries go hand in hand with the development of a simple alphabet and a growing population of literate readers interested in many subjects. Libraries consisting of more than lists, receipts, or religious ceremonies developed among the Greeks and by 405 BCE, we have a large variety of drama and poetry along with histories and even cookbooks written on rolls of papyrus and compiled into "books", the Greek word for multiple scrolls or what we would call chapters. Along with libraries come booksellers and these also began in Greece. It is still Alexandria in Egypt that gets the nod as the first truly public library. The clientele would have been different than our own as only the highly educated scholars would have been able to read or interested in a literary life.
The story continues with innovations such as alphabetizing collections from Alexandria to creating libraries in Rome that featured actual reading rooms. In Rome, libraries were meant for a much larger class of people and were even built in the baths. Trajan's Library held some 20,000 rolls in two stories and consisted of the usual twin buildings (one for Greek works and one for Roman), was meant for readers and had several long tables for sitting and reading in the atria. The number is impressive until compared to the almost 500,000 at Alexandria and the 200,000 of Pergamon. They also gave the world the first critic, Polybius, who wrote works criticizing the works of almost everyone else.
This work is full of fascinating insights into the ancient world and its history of literacy and great efforts to spread it among their populations. The information extends to the 5th century CE and the development of codices and parchment and the changes that produced. Any reader or lover of books will enjoy this one.
March 24, 2017
[3 and 1/2 stars]
March 17, 2025
Precis vad som förväntades givet titeln. En översikt av de större boksamlingarna under antiken, och hur de kom till.
August 18, 2013
This is a fascinating book about the beginning of libraries. I work at a library and have always loved to read, so I enjoyed the descriptions of the first books, early bookstores, and the origins of libraries. Casson's voice is engaging and friendly, never boring or pedantic. My favorite parts were the anecdotes about ancient writers and library holders, such as the story of Cato's runaway slave who stole his books and about the man nicknamed Bronze Guts because he wrote so much (basically a modern-day James Patterson).
I recommend this book to people who love libraries and who are curious about the early days of writing, reading, and books.
I recommend this book to people who love libraries and who are curious about the early days of writing, reading, and books.
December 13, 2010
Rarely able to say this of a research work but the study of libraries in the ancient world is barely touched on. Literacy is a thing not discussed and the importance of public reading and writing and who can and can't read (compared to modern standards and failings) needs to be understood by anyone interested in any history.
February 7, 2016
Covers ancient western and near-eastern libraries only, nothing about China, so nice but incomplete with a slightly misleading title. Fun little read.
May 7, 2018
If you love books, libraries, and ancient western history read this book. It's interesting, illuminating.
June 16, 2022
3.5 or 4
What an amazing book.
The author's goal is to make "an exhaustive study of the libraries of the ancient world"; for this, it is limited to the period that goes from the third millennium to. C. at the beginning of the Byzantine empire (4th and 5th centuries AD). It should be noted that by "ancient world" the author refers in particular to the Greco-Roman world. Regarding his sources, Casson points out that in addition to the data extracted from ancient texts, he bases himself on archaeological finds, inscriptions related to some libraries, edicts where rich benefactors are mentioned, and even epitaphs dedicated to humble librarians. About the content, the scholar intends to reach both the general public and the expert. And he certainly did his goal at least on me.
Through time, the author investigates the forms of organization of the first libraries, how books were acquired and published in the Greco-Roman world, who their users were and how Christianity transformed the nature of these institutions. One of the main merits of this book is that, from the beginning, its reading captivated me through a fascinating story. The narrative is dynamic and fluid where no data is superfluous.
Without a doubt, the part that I enjoyed the most was when he began to narrate the beginnings of libraries in ancient Greece. Which the merit of it is the foundation of a library of varied content, as well as in the disclosure of the composition and possession of books. The author talks about the private libraries, one of which Aristotle seems to have been the first organized, with a model that served that of Alexandria.
The great library of Alexandria, founded around the year 300 BC, is credited with a great collection of titles that is, it was complete, it included books of all kinds and from everywhere, adding the fact that it was public, open to anyone with the appropriate academic or literary qualifications. The titles were classified according to the nature of their content and were assigned to certain rooms, in addition to placing the scrolls on the shelves in alphabetical order. Callimachus, an important organizational figure in the libraries of Greece, divided all Greek writers into categories: "tables," to use his terminology. He made an initial basic division into poetry and prose and divided each into subdivisions. For poetry, there was a table of dramatic poets, with a sub-table of tragedy writers and another of comedy writers; a table of epic poets; a table of lyrical poets, etc. For prose writers, there was a table of philosophers, orators, historians, medical writers, and even a "miscellaneous table."
As for Rome, his eagerness for Greek culture led them to found a new term New Greek Tragedy which consisted of using the same plot and characters with different names of the Greek tragedies for the Roman public. All these new writings accumulated until they came to found libraries. Here the author points out the existence of private and public libraries. The book points out that Rome gave its book deposits a different arrangement from the Greeks: cupboards against the walls, with direct access to the reading public, instead of small rooms with books, communicated with a portico for reading. The personnel in charge, the funds included, and the services offered, are carefully reviewed before proceeding to the enumeration and description of some of the numerous libraries of the Roman world.
A chapter is dedicated to the passage from the roll to the codex; From this phenomenon, Casson highlights the role of Christianity in its propagation and the organizational need to adapt shelves to the new conformation of the book. And the difficulty at a certain point of hoarding this new material.
The last section, “at the edge of the Middle Ages�, points out the decline brought about in the West by the barbarian invasions, compared to the persistence of the libraries in Byzantium, thanks to Theodosius, Justinian, the theological centers, and the monasteries. But it rescues from the West the repertoire that Isidore of Seville undoubtedly had and the relevance of the Vivarium monastery for the development of the scriptoria and, therefore, of the new imprint of medieval libraries.
An enjoyable book, I would recommend this to everyone who loves books or libraries.
What an amazing book.
The author's goal is to make "an exhaustive study of the libraries of the ancient world"; for this, it is limited to the period that goes from the third millennium to. C. at the beginning of the Byzantine empire (4th and 5th centuries AD). It should be noted that by "ancient world" the author refers in particular to the Greco-Roman world. Regarding his sources, Casson points out that in addition to the data extracted from ancient texts, he bases himself on archaeological finds, inscriptions related to some libraries, edicts where rich benefactors are mentioned, and even epitaphs dedicated to humble librarians. About the content, the scholar intends to reach both the general public and the expert. And he certainly did his goal at least on me.
Through time, the author investigates the forms of organization of the first libraries, how books were acquired and published in the Greco-Roman world, who their users were and how Christianity transformed the nature of these institutions. One of the main merits of this book is that, from the beginning, its reading captivated me through a fascinating story. The narrative is dynamic and fluid where no data is superfluous.
Without a doubt, the part that I enjoyed the most was when he began to narrate the beginnings of libraries in ancient Greece. Which the merit of it is the foundation of a library of varied content, as well as in the disclosure of the composition and possession of books. The author talks about the private libraries, one of which Aristotle seems to have been the first organized, with a model that served that of Alexandria.
The great library of Alexandria, founded around the year 300 BC, is credited with a great collection of titles that is, it was complete, it included books of all kinds and from everywhere, adding the fact that it was public, open to anyone with the appropriate academic or literary qualifications. The titles were classified according to the nature of their content and were assigned to certain rooms, in addition to placing the scrolls on the shelves in alphabetical order. Callimachus, an important organizational figure in the libraries of Greece, divided all Greek writers into categories: "tables," to use his terminology. He made an initial basic division into poetry and prose and divided each into subdivisions. For poetry, there was a table of dramatic poets, with a sub-table of tragedy writers and another of comedy writers; a table of epic poets; a table of lyrical poets, etc. For prose writers, there was a table of philosophers, orators, historians, medical writers, and even a "miscellaneous table."
As for Rome, his eagerness for Greek culture led them to found a new term New Greek Tragedy which consisted of using the same plot and characters with different names of the Greek tragedies for the Roman public. All these new writings accumulated until they came to found libraries. Here the author points out the existence of private and public libraries. The book points out that Rome gave its book deposits a different arrangement from the Greeks: cupboards against the walls, with direct access to the reading public, instead of small rooms with books, communicated with a portico for reading. The personnel in charge, the funds included, and the services offered, are carefully reviewed before proceeding to the enumeration and description of some of the numerous libraries of the Roman world.
A chapter is dedicated to the passage from the roll to the codex; From this phenomenon, Casson highlights the role of Christianity in its propagation and the organizational need to adapt shelves to the new conformation of the book. And the difficulty at a certain point of hoarding this new material.
The last section, “at the edge of the Middle Ages�, points out the decline brought about in the West by the barbarian invasions, compared to the persistence of the libraries in Byzantium, thanks to Theodosius, Justinian, the theological centers, and the monasteries. But it rescues from the West the repertoire that Isidore of Seville undoubtedly had and the relevance of the Vivarium monastery for the development of the scriptoria and, therefore, of the new imprint of medieval libraries.
An enjoyable book, I would recommend this to everyone who loves books or libraries.
September 1, 2019
"It was also possible to buy books, since by now there were at least some booksellers in Rome. Cicero in one of his speeches describes an incident that took place on the steps of a taberna libraria, literally 'book store,' near the Forum. Atticus must have got the copy of Serapion that bought for Cicero from one of the bookstores in Rome. But they were a last resort. A copy produced by one's staff from a borrowed book could be checked for accuracy - but a copy from a bookseller could not; the buyer had to take its trustworthiness on faith, and that was risky. When Cicero's brother wrote to Cicero asking his advice on acquiring books in Latin, the answer was: 'For books in Latin I don't know where to go; the copies are made and sold so full of errors.' Tyrannio, as mentioned above, got access to Sulla's library by ingratiating himself with the chief librarian; so did certain booksellers with the intention of making copies to sell - but their copies turned out to be of dubious value because they 'used incompetent scribes and did no proofreading.' When people bought books they were well advised to bring an expert along to evaluate what was offered; Cicero even tried to get Tyrannio, the expert of experts, to help his brother out.
Basically a bookstore was a scriptorium, a shop that did copying. The booksellers probably kept on hand a copy of such standard authors as Home, Euripides, Plato, and the like, which could be swiftly reproduced for customers. They may even have maintained a small supply of copies of each to sell off the shelf. This service may be what Cicero is referring to when he writes his brother that 'the books one would like to have are not the kind that are for sale.' Some booksellers may have kept on hand a single copy of certain works for which there was a limited but steady demand, which they would reproduce when a customer turned up; the booksellers who went after works in Sulla's library presumably had this in mind. Venturesome booksellers possibly took orders on speculation, hoping to be able to find the requested titles somewhere and copy them.
The best place to buy books was abroad - at Athens or Rhodes or Alexandria or any of the great Greek centers where booksellers had long been plying their trade. One of Cicero's first collections came from Greece: Atticus was living in Athens at the time, and he gathered it for him, laying out the money from his own pocket. It must have been a sizable collection, for it cost more than the funds Cicero had available; he had to ask Atticus to wait to be reimbursed, assuring him that he is saving every penny for the purpose - in his words, ego omnes meas vendemiolas eo reservo 'I am saving all my gleanings for it.'"
Basically a bookstore was a scriptorium, a shop that did copying. The booksellers probably kept on hand a copy of such standard authors as Home, Euripides, Plato, and the like, which could be swiftly reproduced for customers. They may even have maintained a small supply of copies of each to sell off the shelf. This service may be what Cicero is referring to when he writes his brother that 'the books one would like to have are not the kind that are for sale.' Some booksellers may have kept on hand a single copy of certain works for which there was a limited but steady demand, which they would reproduce when a customer turned up; the booksellers who went after works in Sulla's library presumably had this in mind. Venturesome booksellers possibly took orders on speculation, hoping to be able to find the requested titles somewhere and copy them.
The best place to buy books was abroad - at Athens or Rhodes or Alexandria or any of the great Greek centers where booksellers had long been plying their trade. One of Cicero's first collections came from Greece: Atticus was living in Athens at the time, and he gathered it for him, laying out the money from his own pocket. It must have been a sizable collection, for it cost more than the funds Cicero had available; he had to ask Atticus to wait to be reimbursed, assuring him that he is saving every penny for the purpose - in his words, ego omnes meas vendemiolas eo reservo 'I am saving all my gleanings for it.'"
June 29, 2018
This book was extremely interesting. It goes back to the beginning of recording information. The first "books" were papyrus scrolls in Egypt and it seems like all first books in a civilization were the recording of incantations to the gods. Since all major mythologies ascribe the invention of writing to a particular deity, such as Thoth and Mercury, it makes sense that they always saw writing as a Gift from the Gods, since they thought that these words were tools that helped them to shape their world. It covers the transition to "Parchment", which was animal skins. When you think of all of the animals that have been slaughtered to record the written work, it's kind or horrifying. Then they described the first books that looked similar to ours, which were Codexes. It was also interesting to see how early in human civilization they felt it important to have Libraries as sources of knowledge and how prized they were. Very interesting.
June 21, 2018
I chose to read this book for three reasons. One because I am a fan of libraries, and two, because I am an armchair archaeologist (at least in my mind). The third reason is for research for a writing project. With that being said, I found this book to be exactly what I wanted and needed. I have always been enthralled with the story of the Library of Alexandria and wondered about its beginnings. But this book starts way before Alexandria, showing how an alphabet came to be, then how books were made and on what materials. Further along we learn of booksellers, library organization, and library staff. It is well written, well researched, and stays true to the focus at hand of the history of books and libraries. Fascinating, informative, and entertaining, it's a definite gem for any bookshelf.
February 7, 2021
Libraries in the Ancient World by Lionel Casson recounts the history of ancient libraries, all the way back to when “books� were just clay tablets. Through the help of archaeology, this book creates a timeline throughout primarily ancient Egypt, where papyrus, an abundant resource, was first created into paper, and ancient Rome, where the first official libraries were formed. Through describing and analyzing the first private and public libraries in the ancient Near East, Greece, and Rome, Casson explains what books were acquired and how, who read them, how they were organized, and more.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I don’t typically read nonfiction books, but I found this one very enticing and captivating to read. As someone who loves to read, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the first libraries and the beginning of the phenomenon of writing and literature. It was funny to learn that there was once a time when people were shocked at being asked to pay money for books in the first bookstores. I also enjoyed learning that people used to borrow books from their friends and get their scribes to make copies (I would save a lot of money acquiring books that way!). Overall, this book was both a fun and informative read, and I recommend it to any book lover!
I really enjoyed reading this book. I don’t typically read nonfiction books, but I found this one very enticing and captivating to read. As someone who loves to read, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the first libraries and the beginning of the phenomenon of writing and literature. It was funny to learn that there was once a time when people were shocked at being asked to pay money for books in the first bookstores. I also enjoyed learning that people used to borrow books from their friends and get their scribes to make copies (I would save a lot of money acquiring books that way!). Overall, this book was both a fun and informative read, and I recommend it to any book lover!
April 13, 2021
This is a fascinating history of libraries and books themselves. The author starts with cuneiform tablets, through scrolls and finally to books as we know them. It's hard to imagine trying to find a specific cuneiform tablet, and looking for a particular set of scrolls doesn't sound too much easier. The increasing use of the codex (more or less like our books today) makes reading so much easier. Plus they're a lot easier to find on library shelves. One surprising bit of history is that monasteries and nunneries originated in Egypt around 320 CE and spread to the rest of the Christian world. The book also has many interesting illustrations, including a bit of Roman cursive writing (which kind of looked Greek to me).
March 1, 2020
Libraries, it turns out, go back as far as ancient Assyria, where Asshurbanipal gathered a great royal library. That, however, had little effect on the European library tradition, which started with Greece, then Rome. Casson follows that tradition including such innovations as developing a catalog of holdings, alphabetizing and eventually replacing scrolls with codexes, i.e., books.
The thing that struck me most, I think, was that there were really a lot of libraries out there back in the day, and they weren't just scholarly: a lot of people could read, and they liked reading popular plays and poems along with serious material.
An interesting book.
The thing that struck me most, I think, was that there were really a lot of libraries out there back in the day, and they weren't just scholarly: a lot of people could read, and they liked reading popular plays and poems along with serious material.
An interesting book.
December 4, 2020
this is a book to give to anyone who thinks that the ancient world was illiterate and ignorant. The author writes about the different famous ancient libraries providing evidence that the ancient people were as interested in being educated.
it also provides evidence that it was not just the so-called elites that had the education while everyone else just went through life depending on what their rulers told them. the false picture of the past created by many unbelievers distorts actual history and creates a past that they want to see not what actually took place.
this book helps dismantle that false picture
it also provides evidence that it was not just the so-called elites that had the education while everyone else just went through life depending on what their rulers told them. the false picture of the past created by many unbelievers distorts actual history and creates a past that they want to see not what actually took place.
this book helps dismantle that false picture
November 22, 2022
Small and easy nonfiction which goes through the history of libraries in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
A fun and interesting topic, and written about with some flair! Very relevant to me as a lover of history and libraries. Turns out ancient librarians had to deal with a lot of the same issues as modern librarians: People loaning out books and not returning them, damaging books, etc. Meanwhile some things are incredibly different. Mesopotamian writing was originally all on clay tablets. The past is both a very similar and very alien place.
Appeals: Ancient history, the Library of Alexandria, Mesopotamian curses upon book-thieves!
A fun and interesting topic, and written about with some flair! Very relevant to me as a lover of history and libraries. Turns out ancient librarians had to deal with a lot of the same issues as modern librarians: People loaning out books and not returning them, damaging books, etc. Meanwhile some things are incredibly different. Mesopotamian writing was originally all on clay tablets. The past is both a very similar and very alien place.
Appeals: Ancient history, the Library of Alexandria, Mesopotamian curses upon book-thieves!
February 21, 2023
It is informative and when I first read about how writing systems started in the western society, it made me appreciate being able to read and write much more. The book has a detailed account about how writing started as records, how collection of records slowly evolve into libraries in the western world. The details and archeological accounts are interesting. If there had been some maps to show how the development moved through time, it would have given me more context.
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