1
Jessica Clark
Foundations of
Western Civilizations 100-50
2 December 2012
Adventures in Alexandria
Sophie Brown, a senior history student at Princeton University, hurried down the corridor
of an academic building and she just knew she would be late for her meeting with Dr. Wilson.
She turned the corner into his office, out of breath and nearly spilled her coffee all over a very
imposing figure.
“Dr. Wilson, I am so sorry I’m late! I’ve just had a lot going on recently. What did you
need to see me about?” she asked, trying to ignore the large man who had taken to scrutinizing
her.
“Sophie, I would like you to meet Mr. Watson. He came to me, seeking an exceptional
student to send on a very special research project,” Dr. Wilson informed her cryptically.
“May I ask what sort of research this project will require of me? I have been pretty
swamped as of late,” Sophie replied.
“Young lady, I want you to time travel for me,” Mr. Watson replied, as nonchalantly as if
that was something one discussed on a daily basis. “This is not something the government feels
the general public should know yet,” Mr. Watson said. “Your task, should you accept, is to travel
back to ancient Alexandria and study history, with the scholars in the great library,1” he said.
“I accept! This is just a lot to take in. What sort of preparation is necessary? How soon
can I depart?” Sophie asked, now very excited.
“We have set up two weeks of immersion for you,” Dr. Wilson said. “You will spend that
time reading as much material on the subject as possible. There will be no language barrier to
1
The purpose of constructing this library was to promote academics and collect the great writings of the world.
“Indeed the whole of literary scholarship, as we know it, sprang up….” E. M. Forster, Alexandria: A History and a
Guide (Garden City: Anchor Books: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1961), 38-39.
2
grapple with; we have developed a system that alters brain connections to the most commonly
encountered language of the area you will be entering. Your task is to stay as long as you feel
safe, but no longer than one month. Good luck, Ms. Brown,” he concluded. And on that note,
Sophie was rushed into a room piled high with books for the most intensive study of her life.
“Ironic that they quarantine me with books before sending me to study books,” she
thought to herself. She quickly realized that she was a woman, and while accepted in the modern
academic community, she would not get into the Library at Alexandria as a female. By choosing
loose-fitting clothing and closely cropping her hair, she hoped issues would be avoided. Sophie,
newly garbed as a young man, stepped into the time-travel chamber knowing her life would
never be the same.
In the next instant, she was aboard a Greek ship, hidden among piles of manuscripts that
were being taken by Alexandrian soldiers to be copied for the library.2 Night was falling, and by
dodging away from the torchlight, she made her way across to the Alexandrian ship. Once again,
she took up hiding among the manuscripts. While there, she overheard some of the men talking.
“The funny thing is these Greeks think they are getting original scrolls back! Little do
they know, we will just return cleverly devised copies!” one man said jokingly to those around
him.
As the ship turned back for the harbor of Alexandria a brilliant light dominated the
horizon.
“That must be the lighthouse on Pharos!3” Sophie thought to herself.
“…[M]ethods of acquiring precious manuscripts were not always honorable ones. Soter’s grandson, Ptolemy III,
for example, seized cargoes of books from ships docked at Alexandria and had copies made, which he would return
instead of the originals….” Laura Foreman, Cleopatra’s Palace: In Search of a Legend (New York: Discovery
Books, 1999), 48.
3
The island of Pharos housed a lighthouse that was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Forster, 18.
The light could be seen well out to sea to assist ships navigating the treacherous waters around Alexandria’s
coastline, as well as providing a look-out to help protect the harbor from both naval and land attacks. Foreman, 45.
2
3
“It’s a wondrous sight, huh?” said a voice at her elbow. Sophie nearly jumped upright,
but managed to stay hidden.
“My name is Caius and I work under a scribe in the library. I hope to study there like my
father someday,” said a young man who had just appeared beside her. Sophie suddenly
remembered that she was posing as a man, and not a female college student, and proceeded to
introduce herself.
“I’m Propius, and I am trying to get a job in the library as well; in fact, that is why I’m
here in the first place,” she said.
“I’ll take you there when we land!” Caius said as the ship was skirting the island of
Pharos. “Since you’re new to the area I’ll pass on a word of warning,” he said, looking out across
the water, “the island looks beautiful, but avoid going there if you can. Its inhabitants are a
dangerous breed.4”
The ship made its way around the island, beside the heptastadion, and docked in the
harbor.5 Above them loomed an enormous, white city,6 majestically overlooking the
The structure had three levels and was designed so that mules could move fuel up to keep the fire burning, rather
than requiring human labor. Theodore Vrettos, Alexandria: City of the Western Mind (New York: The Free Press,
2001), 32.
4
Although the island serves to protect the city and the ship approaching it, the residents of Pharos were a hostile
group, who lived in a relatively large village. “…[I]t would be wiser to stay on the mainland .Even ships are careful
to avoid the island because the inhabitants of Pharos, like pirates, are in the habit of plundering vessels which move
out of their direct course through carelessness or bad weather. When Caesar came to Alexandria he took the
precaution of stationing troops on the Island to ensure the safe arrival of his supplies and reinforcements.” Wendy
Brazil, “Alexandria: The Umbilicus of the Ancient World”, in The Library of Alexandria: Centre of Learning in the
Ancient World, ed. Roy MacLeod (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2001), 43-44.
5
“Almost daily, ships from every corner of the globe docked on each side of the Heptastadion, a thin strip of land
connecting Pharos with mainland Alexandria.” Vrettos, 8.
6
Unlike many other cities of antiquity, Alexandria was “built of marble or stone” and almost entirely free of wood,
giving it a lighter appearance; this also made the city essentially fireproof. Edward Alexander Parsons, The
Alexandrian Library (Amsterdam: Elsevier Publishing Company, 1952), 289.
4
Mediterranean. Once off the boat, Caius and Sophie walked the broad streets7 of Alexandria,
taking in all the sights as the sun began to rise, before making their way toward the library.
“There are some things every man must see, especially if he aspires to be something
greater one day. One of those is the tomb of Alexander the Great.8” Sophie turned her head in all
directions, trying to absorb as many details as possible.
“How are you going to get into the library?” Caius queried. “I could tell my father you
were found with the Greek texts and could be an asset to the other scholars.”
“That would be perfect!” she replied. After a brief interchange with Caius’ father, Sophie
had a job transcribing the newest shipment of Greek texts onto scrolls. She walked down a hall
within the Library, slightly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of knowledge contained within
those walls. The hall was lined with alcoves, each containing stacks upon stacks of writings from
around the world.9
Sophie spent the night on the floor of Caius’ room, but was up early with the other
scribes, prepared for a long day of intellectual stimulation. En route to the workroom, however,
Caius caught up with her.
The streets of Alexandria are wide because they were intended to be. “The city was intersected by streets ideal for
horse-riding and chariot-driving.” The size of the roadways allowed for free movement of people, goods, and
vehicles in two directions at once. Vrettos, 4.
8
The body of Alexander the Great was put into a heavily adorned coffin and carried across much of his conquered
lands in a parade of sorts. “…[T]he funeral procession set out from Babylon, first to Mesopotamia, then into Syria
and Lydia. It was about to advance…toward…Macedonia when impassable roads forced it to…head for Egypt.” It
was decided by Ptolemy Soter that Alexander should be laid to rest in the city he created and had named for himself.
This enormous mausoleum has a courtyard and a Place of Lamentation. It was a “revered place of the Roman and
Greek world: Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Augustus, Severus, Caracalla, Vespasian, Hadrian, Aurelian—each
would come here to pay his respects….” Vrettos, 27-28.
9
Manuscripts had to be acquired to compile the massive collection that was the Alexandrian library. “[T]hey
ransacked the four quarters of the Hellenic, Mediterranean, and Asian cities, towns, and countrysides for literary
manuscripts and records of every kind….Particularly do we learn that large purchases were made from Athens and
Rhodes….” Parsons, 163.
7
5
“Propius! Caesar is here! Julius Caesar is in Alexandria and the people are revolting
against him!10” Caius reported, out of breath. With that news, Sophie experienced an extreme
crisis of conscience. Based on her research, there were conflicting reports on the burning of the
library; the only thing she could definitely recall was that if the library had in fact burned, it was
while the city was attempting to oust Caesar.11 In this moment of fear, she made a dramatic
decision.
“Caius, I have to go now. There is something else I need to do while I’m in Alexandria.
Maybe you can catch a glimpse of Caesar if he goes past!” she said quickly before running from
the Library.
Sophie ran into what appeared to be an empty building and rummaged through her bag.
In case such a situation arose, she had packed women’s clothing and a wig, which she quickly
donned. Hurriedly, she walked down the great avenue toward the famous palace.12 Along the
way she marveled at the stunning columns that lined the broad roadway, and the open feeling of
the magnificent city. When she arrived at the palace, she realized that her actions had been rash;
she had abandoned the purpose for her travels and now had nowhere to go. Summing up her
courage, she blended into a group of chambermaids who worked in the palace, and managed to
10
Caesar was continually working to expand the Roman territories. He faced opposition when he tried to take
Alexandria. “Achillas…raised a troublesome and embarrassing war against Caesar, which it was not easy for him to
manage with his few soldiers against so powerful a city and so large an army.” Plutarch, Greek and Roman Lives,
trans. John Dryden, ed. Arthur Hugh Clough (Mineola: Dover Publications, Inc., 2005), 356.
11
According to Plutarch, during Caesar’s “troublesome and embarrassing” war with the people of Alexandria he
made a significant defensive move by setting his ships on fire in the harbor. This fire, “after burning the docks,
thence spread on and destroyed the great library.” Plutarch, 357. Other opinions have been brought to light,
however. “The total destruction of the Library would imply a general conflagration at this time in this part of the
city,” but the city was constructed almost entirely out of stone, so a massive, spreading fire was unlikely.
Supposedly when Cleopatra showed the Great Library to Caesar, he was highly impressed. So impressed that she
offered to send manuscripts home with him, and he accepted that offer. He collected as many as 40,000 manuscripts
and was storing them near the docks, awaiting transport to Rome, and it was likely these works that were destroyed
rather than the actual library structure. Parsons, 284, 317, 318.
12
“Alexandria was cut into…distinct parts by two large avenues….” These streets ran across the entire city, one
running almost parallel with the coast while the other ran perpendicular. Each street was “more than 100 feet wide
and flanked on both sides with marble colonnades, statues, monuments, and sphinxes.” Vrettos, 7.
6
get inside. The gossip was flying! Apparently, Cleopatra herself had just rolled out of a carpet in
Julius Caesar’s room.13 This had thrown Caesar and his guards14 into a bit of a panic, but the
usual palace servants were not entirely surprised; they knew the personality of their audacious
leader.15
“This is even better than the contents of the library!” Sophie thought to herself, “I can
gather firsthand information about Cleopatra and Caesar!” She repeatedly attempted to infiltrate
their chambers, but was not successful.
“The things they are discussing inside will change the world as they know it forever! If
only I could get in!” she cried.
As her last desperate attempt, she approached the room carrying a plate of dried fruits
and, much to her surprise, was admitted.
“Her,” said a voice the moment she stepped through the door. “I want her to accompany
me.”
13
Cleopatra had to be clever in order to see Caesar when he arrived in Alexandria. She had been living in exile
because her older sister wished her dead. “She instructed Apollodorus to lay out a sack of bedding. She stretched out
full length as he tied up its ends with cord. Hoisting the bedroll to his shoulder, he carried his queen inside the
palace and untied the sack at Caesar’s feet.” A. J. Langguth, A Noise of War (Simon and Schuster, 1994), in
Cleopatra, ed. Don Nardo, People Who Made History (San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2001), 36.
14
“Caesar arrived in Alexandria as a Roman consul….The Roman soldiers who were serving as Ptolemy’s guard
rushed to greet him….Caesar continued to stay at the palace, but stayed up all night to avoid the kind of sneak
attack…that had killed Pompey.” Caesar had been at odds with Pompey, but was not at all pleased when he was
decapitated as a favor to Caesar. His coming to Alexandria was taken as a direct offense by the citizens, and this
gave Caesar good reason to fear for his life. Langguth, 35.
15
“With the arrival of Caesar, Cleopatra’s triumphs began. She did not differ in character from the other able and
unscrupulous queens of her race, but she had one source of power that they denied themselves—the power of the
courtesan—and she exploited it professionally….Her safety, and the safety of Egypt were her care; the clumsy and
amorous Romans, who menaced both, were her natural prey.” In her rise to power it is not to be said that Cleopatra
acted as she did purely for political reasons and not also for love, but regardless of her methods, she took a stand as
an empowered woman in a world where men held the power. She was bold and made demands that other women of
her time, and for centuries after, were not brave enough to ask. Forster, 25-26. “Cleopatra was a highly educated
woman and spoke many languages as well as her own. Politically she was uncommonly gifted, cunning and
capable….” Christian Meier, Caesar: A Biography (BasicBooks, 1982), in Cleopatra, ed. Don Nardo, People Who
Made History (San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2001), 42.
7
This “me” was Cleopatra herself. The two had been discussing plans for Caesar’s time in
Alexandria, and she wished to show him the beauty of her land. They were to take a leisurely
boat tour of the Nile16 and needed servants to accompany them.
“I don’t recognize her, but she looks intelligent, and I will only be served by bright young
women,” the queen stated, bluntly. And as simply as that, Sophie was rushed into the bustle of
organizing and decorating the magnificent barge on which two of the most iconic rulers in
history would soon be riding. Time passed quickly, but Sophie was so caught up in the unreality
of it all that she scarcely noticed.
One evening, aboard the vessel, she looked up onto the brilliant horizon and
realized that she must return home. She did not know how long it had been or even if she could
still travel through time. “Veni, vidi, vici!17” she whispered. This was the agreed upon code
phrase to remove her to the present day.
“What was that?” the queen asked. She turned to where Sophie had been standing only to
find a fan lying on the deck and no trace of her handmaid.
In the blink of an eye, Sophie had been whisked from the past, with the images of
beautiful Egypt burned into her memory forever.
16
The boat trip of Caesar and Cleopatra was enormous; they were accompanied by hundreds of ships to afford them
protection from assassination attempts. Their barge itself “contained bedchambers, banquet rooms, shrines, grottoes,
gardens, and courtyards with porticoes and colonnades.” Vrettos, 95.
17
The Latin for “I came, I saw, I conquered,” words famously spoken by Julius Caesar. Plutarch, 357.