Earlier this
month, Academia.edu shared an article by Rogério Sousa, Alexandrea ad Aegyptum: The legacy of Multiculturalism in Antiquity,
together with a team of specialists in Art History, Archaeology, Literature,
Mathematics, Egyptology, and Classical Studies.
At the beginning
of said book from 2012, a
Chapter called FORWARD, deserves our dearest attention. It is written by Ismael
Serageldin, Librarian of Alexandria.
Who is better placed to describe Alexander’s
role in creating a multicultural city that led “to the betterment of the human condition and carry us to heights
unimagined.” I’m quoting this Chapter hereafter for everyone to enjoy:
"The
founding of Alexandria
in 331 B.C.E. was a momentous event in the history of mankind. Alexander's
dream was to create an international city, a space where people from all over
the known world would live and work together for the development of the human
mind. Alexandria therefore endures in our imagination as the first model of
cultural interaction – of cosmopolitanism, to use both classical and contemporary
terminology – and as the cultural and intellectual capital of the Ancient
World.
The
intermingling of races and beliefs, and the exchange of ideas, undoubtedly
produced the knowledge that modern scholarship still celebrates. For centuries Alexandria ruled the Mediterranean not just through its
wealth and military power, but also with its intellectual achievements which
came to fruition at the ancient Library of Alexandria. It was there that scholars
gathered from the four corners of the world to push the boundaries of human
knowledge and unleash the human mind on myriad quests. To this day it
symbolizes the noblest aspirations of the human mind, global ecumenism, and the
greatest achievements of the intellect. In Science, Mathematics, Astronomy and
the humanities, the mark of Alexandrian scholarship and discoveries is to be
found everywhere.
The
ancient Library of Alexandria
was not just a repository of scrolls, valuable though those might have been. It
was a centre of learning and of excellence, as we would today call it. It did
not survive the turmoil of conflict and bigotry, or even the scars of time and
natural disasters (for no physical remains exist), but its legacy lived on.
Sixteen hundred years after its final collapse, the dream of its revival became
a reality and it was resurrected, through international efforts, on the shores
of the Mediterranean, just a stone's throw
away from where its famed predecessor had stood. The new Library of Alexandria is a bold
evocative building, but like its namesake, it is much more than a building and
is not just a library. Born digital, it has risen to the challenges of the
modern times and aspires to be a library for the new digital age. It is also,
like the ancient Library, a centre of learning and dialogue, a space for
intellectual debates (encouraging especially the youth), scholarship, and the
arts, as well as a meeting place for North and South, East and West. Equipped
with state-of-the-art technology and conference halls, it is a vast cultural complex
with its own orchestra, museums, permanent as well as temporary exhibitions,
research centres and publications. As it celebrates its tenth anniversary this
October, the new Library of Alexandria can look back with pride upon the large
strides it has taken towards promoting culture, dialogue and scholarship,
reassuring its ancestor that ideas never die, and that though men may expire
and buildings may perish, great minds are immortal.
This
conference, and its proceedings, are a testimony that the values embodied by Alexandria and its
Library continue to inspire noble minded scholars whose pursuit for knowledge
transcends boundaries and time. The breadth and scope of the papers presented
do credit to the spirit of Alexandria
– its multiculturalism, and its passion for science and scholarship. All this
would not have been possible without the enlightened leadership of the first
Ptolemies, who translated Alexander's dream in ways that may have exceeded his
10 alexandrea ad aegyptvm: the legacy of multiculturalism in antiquity
expectations. The genius of the site, Alexander's choice, allowed the city to
accumulate immense wealth through maritime trade, and this in turn allowed the
Ptolemies to channel funds towards culture. It was they who laid the foundations
of enlightenment, symbolized by the Pharos, the Museion and the Library. Under
their aegis, scholarship and science – the product of foreign and local minds
working together – made immense leaps in all areas. Callimachus, especially
revered in the new Library of Alexandria, not only revolutionized poetry but
also classified books according to author, title and subject, thereby
establishing library science. Euclid's book continues to be taught to this day,
a record that has yet to be broken! And Philo's early attempt at reconciling
philosophy with religion set a tradition that also continues to engage
philosophers and theologians. Indeed, Alexandria's importance in philosophy,
Judaism and Christianity is a matter for deep scholarship, but this conference
pays attention to the especial role Alexandria played in spreading the cult of
Isis throughout the world, making her the most popular deity of ancient times.
Cleopatra herself often assumed the role of Isis
(thus providing a marvelous example of cultural interaction) during festivals
and religious ceremonies. She was the last of the Ptolemies and the Hellenistic
age came to an end with the asp bite that ended her life. Yet her magic, like
that of the city which she ruled, lives on. The Hellenistic age may have
officially ended with Octavian's victory, but it never died.
The
proceedings in our hands confirm that the multiculturalism of the Ancient
World, rippling out from Alexandria to extend throughout the Hellenistic period
and beyond, is as valid now as it was then – perhaps more so today, when
globalization has given a new meaning to the internationalism envisioned by
Alexander the Great centuries ago. Now, with the «clash of civilizations»
dominating our discourse, it is pertinent to remember the lesson Alexandrea ad
Aegyptum taught us: that the interaction between cultures can only lead to the
betterment of the human condition and carry us to heights unimagined".
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