Inside Roman Libraries

Abstract

Libraries of the ancient world have long held a space in the public imagination. The library at Alexandria, even during antiquity, was nearly legendary. Until now there has been relatively little research done to learn what was inside these libraries, who wrote the book rolls, who maintained and protected the holdings, and how those ancient collections came to be. This book examines the complex world of ancient libraries, from Greece, Italy, and Egypt, spanning four centuries from Cicero to Constantine. This study of early book collections illuminates the material culture of ancient writing alongside the role of these libraries in the intellectual world of their time. By answering questions about how curators built and maintained their collections of book rolls and how scholars used them, the book creates connections from the world of antiquity to modern day libraries and their scholarly functions, providing a detailed picture of ancient book collections and the essence of an ancient Roman library.

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