2,300 years ago, the rulers of Alexandria set out to fulfill an audacious goal: to collect all the knowledge in the world under one roof. In its prime, the Library of Alexandria housed an unprecedented number of scrolls and attracted some of the Greek world's greatest minds. But by the end of the 5th century CE, it had vanished. Elizabeth Cox details the rise and fall of this great building. [TED-Ed Animation by Inna Phillimore]

Elizabeth Cox: What really happened to the Library of Alexandria?

What really happened to the Library of Alexandria?

The Library of Alexandria's effort to house all knowledge led to innovations like the steam engine over a millennium early.

Despite Caesar's siege in 48 BCE, the library's demise was gradual, succumbing to changing rulers and ideologies over centuries.

The story of Alexandria teaches us the resilience and vulnerability of knowledge, urging protection against ignorance and fear.