On Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:45:32 +1000, Herodotus
wrote:

On Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:43:13 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
Sort of like the burning of the library at Alexandria by the Moslems.

In 640 AD the Moslems took the city of Alexandria. Upon learning of "a
great library containing all the knowledge of the world" the
conquering general supposedly asked Caliph Omar for instructions.

The Caliph has been quoted as saying of the Library's holdings, "they
will either contradict the Koran, in which case they are heresy, or
they will agree with it, so they are superfluous."

These facts condemning Omar were written by Bishop Gregory Bar
Hebræus, a Christian who spent a great deal of time writing about
Moslem atrocities without much historical documentation.

Apparently those who refuse to study history ARE doomed to repeat it.


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)

Now hang on a minute Bruce.

Most of the library was burned by a Christian mob at the beginning of
the 5th century AD when the Bishop Cyril incited the mob to waylay her
on the way to work - she was the Chief Librarian as well as the
daughter of a former chief Librarian. They dragged her from her
chariot, stripped her and then flayed her alive before burning her
body. The mob then surged into the library and set fire to it.

It was considered "pagan learning". Cyril has since become one of the
two patron saints of the Coptic Church (most Egyptian Christians are
Coptic - very similar to Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox) and is
revered. It was the acts of ignorant men like these who set
civilisation towards a dark age.

Part of this was the proscription of many classical authors' works and
the burning thereof by the Church of Rome. Aristotle was one of the
only authors allowed to be read. Most of the rest such as Heraclitus
and so on were banned under pain of excommunication and or death.

I was going to name my boat Hypatia which is why I had learned so much
about her. The Lesbians had gotten hold on one of my favourite ancient
poets, Sappho, so that ruled her out even though it is very doubtful
as to whether she was a strapadictimist and practiced strapadictomy.

regards
Peter


Actually, no one knows who burned the library. the earliest candidate
was Julius Caesar...

Please reread the final paragraph in my post.


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)