c. 300–280 BCEReputable source · 2 sourcesWell documented
The Library and Lighthouse of Alexandria
On the timeline · around c. 300–280 BCE ·
What happened
Under the first Ptolemies, Alexandria acquired two of antiquity's most famous institutions: the Great Library and Museum, which gathered thousands of scrolls and scholars such as Euclid, and the Pharos lighthouse — a tower over 100 metres tall counted among the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.
Why it matters
The Library made Alexandria the center of Greek learning, while the Pharos symbolized Ptolemaic wealth and guided ships into the greatest port of the Mediterranean.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Lighthouse of Alexandria · Reputable source
- World History Encyclopedia. What happened to the Great Library at Alexandria? · Reputable source