Ancient Monarch Eumenes II and Pergamon's Prosperous Library
In the heart of ancient Pergamon, now modern-day Turkey, a remarkable library emerged during the Hellenistic period, becoming a beacon of knowledge and intellectual prowess. This library, established by Attalid King Eumenes II, was not just a repository of books, but a symbol of Pergamon's rivalry with the renowned Library of Alexandria in Egypt.
The story of Pergamon's library is inextricably linked to the tradition that Egypt imposed a ban on the export of papyrus to Pergamon. In response, Pergamon pioneered the use of an alternative writing material—parchment, or "pergamena." This move was a strategic response to the scarcity of papyrus and a testament to Pergamon's ingenuity.
Pergamon, during the rule of the Attalids, became a major supplier of parchment during the Roman Period. Interestingly, the English word "parchment" originates from the Latin pergamenum, a reference to Pergamon.
The library, designed for maximum efficiency, preservation, and ascetic beauty, was a hub of learning and intellectual discourse. Its layout was unique, with doorways in the stacks opening onto the colonnade, allowing patrons to take books out into the daylight for ease in reading. The three shorter and narrower rooms were identified as the stacks, with walls lined with wooden shelves for holding scrolls. A 20-inch space was left between the outer walls and the shelves to allow air to circulate, preventing molding of the books.
The library continued in use from the reign of Eumenes II through the Byzantine Period. After Attalus III willed the Kingdom of Pergamon to Rome, the Romans continued maintenance of the library. The library was still in operation during the early years of the Byzantine Empire. The final fate of the library is unknown, but it is most likely that the collection was removed by the librarians and other scholars before the city was finally abandoned sometime after c. 1300.
The competition between the libraries of Pergamon and Alexandria was not just about the collections but also affected material culture in the ancient world. This competition helped push the transition from papyrus scrolls to parchment codices, early book forms. Parchment's durability and writable surface eventually made it the preferred medium for manuscripts throughout the classical and medieval periods.
The library's size was estimated to have sufficient shelving space to accommodate around 200,000 books. Some of these scrolls were given back to Pergamon after they were defeated by Octavian at the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE. However, Mark Antony gave the library's entire collection to Cleopatra VII as a gift for the Alexandrian library in 43 BCE.
Despite the loss of its collection, the library of Pergamon remained a center of learning and became the most famous after the Library at Alexandria, Egypt. The most popular literary works in the library were Homer's Iliad and Odyssey (with the Iliad in greater demand) and the works of Euripides. The library, through its rivalry with Alexandria, spurred innovation in manuscript production, contributing significantly to the history of bookmaking.
In context, Pergamon’s ascent as a cultural and intellectual center in the Hellenistic period was linked to its powerful Attalid dynasty and the establishment of its own renowned library. This intellectual competition against Alexandria contributed to innovations in how texts were preserved and disseminated in the ancient Mediterranean.
As the Attalid dynasty rose to power in ancient Pergamon, the city's library became a hub for science, technology, and education-and-self-development, fostering intellectual discourse and innovation. The library's transition from papyrus scrolls to more durable parchment codices marked a significant advancement in material culture during this period, setting a precedent for future bookmaking techniques.
