Seneca - On Tranquillity of the Mind, 9.5

function seneca() { myOtherWindow = open("", "secondWindow", "toolbar=no, location=no, directories=no, status=no, menubar=no, scrollbars=yes, resizable=yes, width=300, height=400") if (myOtherWindow != null) { var otherWindowDefinition="Seneca - On Tranquillity of the Mind, 9.5" otherWindowDefinition += "" otherWindowDefinition += "Even for studies, where expenditure is most honourable, it is justifiable only so long as it is kept within bounds. What is the use of having countless books and libraries, whose titles their owners can scarcely read through in a whole lifetime? The learner is, not instructed, but burdened by the mass of them, and it is much better to surrender yourself to a few authors than to wander through many." otherWindowDefinition += " Forty thousand books were burned at Alexandria; let someone else praise this library as the most noble monument to the wealth of kings, as did Titus Livius, who says that it was the most distinguished achievement of the good taste and solicitude of kings. There was no 'good taste' or 'solicitude' about it, but only learned luxury -- nay, not even 'learned,' since they had collected the books, not for the sake of learning, but to make a show, just as many who lack even a child's knowledge of letters use books, not as the tools of learning, but as decorations for the dining-room. Therefore, let just as many books be acquired as are enough, but none for mere show." otherWindowDefinition += "" myOtherWindow.document.write(otherWindowDefinition) myOtherWindow.document.close() } } function gellius() { myOtherWindow = open("", "secondWindow", "toolbar=no, location=no, directories=no, status=no, menubar=no, scrollbars=yes, resizable=yes, width=300, height=400") if (myOtherWindow != null) { var otherWindowDefinition="Gellius - Attic Nights, VII(XVII)" otherWindowDefinition += "" otherWindowDefinition += "At a later time an enormous quantity of books, nearly seven hundred thousand, was either acquired or copied in Egypt under the kings known as the Ptolemies. But these were all burned during the sack of the city in our first war with Alexandria, not intentionally or by anyone's order, but accidently by the auxiliary soldiers." otherWindowDefinition += "" myOtherWindow.document.write(otherWindowDefinition) myOtherWindow.document.close() } } function ammianus() { myOtherWindow = open("", "secondWindow", "toolbar=no, location=no, directories=no, status=no, menubar=no, scrollbars=yes, resizable=yes, width=300, height=400") if (myOtherWindow != null) { var otherWindowDefinition="Ammianus Marcellinus - History, XXII(16)" otherWindowDefinition += "" otherWindowDefinition += "The Serapeum, though feeble words merely belittle it, is so adorned with extensive columned halls with almost breathing statues and a great number of other works of art that, next to the Capitol with which revered Roman elevates herself to eternity, the whole world beholds nothing more magnificent." otherWindowDefinition += " In here have been valuable libraries and the unanimous testamony of ancient records declares that seven hundred thousand books, brought together by the unremitting energy of the Ptolemies, were burned in the Alexandrine War when the city was sacked under the dictator Caesar." otherWindowDefinition += "" myOtherWindow.document.write(otherWindowDefinition) myOtherWindow.document.close() } } function orosius() { myOtherWindow = open("", "secondWindow", "toolbar=no, location=no, directories=no, status=no, menubar=no, scrollbars=yes, resizable=yes, width=300, height=400") if (myOtherWindow != null) { var otherWindowDefinition="Orosius - History Against the Pagans VI" otherWindowDefinition += "" otherWindowDefinition += "In the battle itself, the royal fleet which by chance was drawn up on shore, was ordered to be burned. This fire, when it spread also to a part of the city, burned four hundred thousand books which happened to be stored in a building nearby. Indeed, it was a special monument to the zeal and interest of our ancestors who had gathered together so many and such great works by distinguished minds." otherWindowDefinition += " Regarding this matter, although today there exist in the temples book chests which we ourselves have seen and which we are told were emptied by our own men in our own time when these temples were plundered (and this is indeed the truth), nevertheless it is believed more honourably that books were collected to emulate the ancient interests in studies rather than that there was another library at that time which existed in addition to the four hundred thousand and for that reason escaped destruction." otherWindowDefinition += "" myOtherWindow.document.write(otherWindowDefinition) myOtherWindow.document.close() } } function aphthonius() { myOtherWindow = open("", "secondWindow", "toolbar=no, location=no, directories=no, status=no, menubar=no, scrollbars=yes, resizable=yes, width=300, height=400") if (myOtherWindow != null) { var otherWindowDefinition="Aphthonius - Progymnasmata XII" otherWindowDefinition += "" otherWindowDefinition += "As one enters the acropolis itself a single space is marked out by four sides; the plan of the arrangement is that of a hollow rectangle. There is a court in the centre, surrounded by a colonnade. Other colonnades succeed the court, colonnades divided by equal columns, and their length could not be exceeded. Each colonnade ends in another at right angles, and a double column divides each colonnade, ending the one and starting the other. Chambers are built within the colonnades. Some are repositories for the books, open to those who are diligent in philosophy and stirring up the whole city to mastery of wisdom. Others are established in honour of the ancient gods. The colonnades are roofed, and the roof is made of gold, and the capitals of the columns are made of bronze overlaid with gold. The decoration of the court is not single. For different parts are differently decorated, and one has the exploits of Perseus." otherWindowDefinition += " In the middle there rises a column of great height, making the place conspicuous (someone on his way does not know where he is going, unless he uses the pillar as a sign of the direction) and makes the acropolis stand out by land and sea. The beginnings of the universe stand round the capital of the column. Before one comes to the middle of the court there is set an edifice with many entrances, which are named after the ancient gods; and two stone obelisks rise up, and a fountain better than that of the Peisistratids. And the marvel had an incredible number of builders. As one was not sufficient for the makig, builders of the whole acropolis were appointed to the number of twelve." otherWindowDefinition += "

Translated by Malcolm Heath, Leeds University" otherWindowDefinition += "" myOtherWindow.document.write(otherWindowDefinition) myOtherWindow.document.close() } } function eunapius() { myOtherWindow = open("", "secondWindow", "toolbar=no, location=no, directories=no, status=no, menubar=no, scrollbars=yes, resizable=yes, width=300, height=400") if (myOtherWindow != null) { var otherWindowDefinition="Eunapius - Lives of the Philosophers 472" otherWindowDefinition += "" otherWindowDefinition += "For no sooner had he [Antonius] left the world than the cult of the temples in Alexandria and at the shrine of Serapis were scattered to the winds. And not only the ceremonies of the cult but the buildings as well. Everything happened as in the myths of the poets when the giants gained the upper hand. The temples at Canopus also suffered the same fate in the reign of Theodosius when Theophilus presided over the adominable ones like a sort of Eurymedon who ruled over the proud giants, Evagrius was prefect of the city and Romanus in command of the legions of Egypt.

" otherWindowDefinition += " For these men, girding themselves in their wrath against our sacred places as though against stones and stone masons, made a raid on the temples. Though they could not allege even a rumour of war to justify them, they demolished the temple of Serapis and made war against the temple offerings and thereby won a victory without meeting a foe or fighting a battle. In this fashion they fought so strenuously against the statues and votive offerings that they not only conquered but also stole them as well. Their only military tactics were to ensure that the thief should escape detection." otherWindowDefinition += "" myOtherWindow.document.write(otherWindowDefinition) myOtherWindow.document.close() } } function socrates() { myOtherWindow = open("", "secondWindow", "toolbar=no, location=no, directories=no, status=no, menubar=no, scrollbars=yes, resizable=yes, width=300, height=400") if (myOtherWindow != null) { var otherWindowDefinition="Socrates Scholasticus - Ecclesiastical History V(XVI)" otherWindowDefinition += "" otherWindowDefinition += "At the solicitation of Theophilus bishop of Alexandria the emperor issued an order at this time for the demolition of the heathen temples in that city; commanding also that it should be put in execution under the direction of Theophilus. Seizing this opportunity, Theophilus exerted himself to the utmost to expose the pagan mysteries to contempt. And to begin with, he caused the Mithreum to be cleaned out, and exhibited to public view the tokens of its bloody mysteries. Then he destroyed the Serapeum, and the bloody rights of the Mithreum he publicly caricatured; the Serapeum also he showed full of extravagant superstitions, and he had the phalli of Priapus carried through the midst of the forum. The pagans of Alexandria, and especially the professors of philosophy, were unable to repress their rage at this exposure, and exceeded in revengeful ferocity their outrages on a former occasion: for with one accord, at a preconcerted signal, they rushed impetuously upon the Christians, and murdered every one they could lay hands on.

" otherWindowDefinition += " When the Temple of Serapis was torn down and laid bare, there were found in it, engraven on stones, certain characters which they call hieroglyphics, having the forms of crosses. Both the Christians and pagans on seeing them, appropriated and applied them to their respective religions: for the Christians who affirm that the cross is the sign of Christ's saving passion, claimed this character as peculiarly theirs; but the pagans alleged that it might appertain to Christ and Serapis in common; `for,' said they, `it symbolizes one thing to Christians and another to heathens.' Whilst this point was controverted amongst them, some of the heathen converts to Christianity, who were conversant with these heiroglyphic characters, interpreted the form of a cross and said that it signifies `Life to come.' This the Christians exultingly laid hold of, as decidedly favorable to their religion. But after other hieroglyphics had been deciphered containing a prediction that `When the cross should appear,'-for this was `life to come,'-`the Temple of Serapis would be destroyed,' a very great number of the pagans embraced Christianity, and confessing their sins, were baptized. " otherWindowDefinition += "" myOtherWindow.document.write(otherWindowDefinition) myOtherWindow.document.close() } } function sozomen() { myOtherWindow = open("", "secondWindow", "toolbar=no, location=no, directories=no, status=no, menubar=no, scrollbars=yes, resizable=yes, width=300, height=400") if (myOtherWindow != null) { var otherWindowDefinition="Hermias Sozomen - Ecclesiastical History VII(XV)" otherWindowDefinition += "" otherWindowDefinition += "When the emperor was informed of these occurrences, he declared that the Christians who had been slain were blessed, inasmuch as they had been admitted to the honor of martyrdom, and had suffered in defense of the faith. He offered free pardon to those who had slain them, hoping that by this act of clemency they would be the more readily induced to embrace Christianity; and he commanded the demolition of the temples in Alexandria which had been the cause of the popular sedition. It is said that, when this imperial edict was read in public, the Christians uttered loud shouts of joy, because the emperor laid the odium of what had occurred upon the pagans. The people who were guarding the Serapion were so terrified at hearing these shouts, that they took to flight, and the Christians immediately obtained possession of the spot, which they have retained ever since. I have been informed that, on the night preceding this occurrence, Olympius heard the voice of one singing hallelujah in the Serapion." otherWindowDefinition += " The doors were shut and everything was still; and as he could see no one, but could only hear the voice of the singer, he at once understood what the sign signified; and unknown to any one he quitted the Serapion and embarked for Italy. It is said that when the temple was being demolished, some stones were found, on which were hieroglyphic characters in the form of a cross, which on being submitted to the inspection of the learned, were interpreted as signifying the life to come. These characters led to the conversion of several of the pagans, as did likewise other inscriptions found in the same place, and which contained predictions of the destruction of the temple. It was thus that the Serapion was taken, and, a little while after, converted into a church; it received the name of the Emperor Arcadius." otherWindowDefinition += "" myOtherWindow.document.write(otherWindowDefinition) myOtherWindow.document.close() } } function theodoret() { myOtherWindow = open("", "secondWindow", "toolbar=no, location=no, directories=no, status=no, menubar=no, scrollbars=yes, resizable=yes, width=300, height=400") if (myOtherWindow != null) { var otherWindowDefinition="Theodoret - Ecclesiastical History V(XXII)" otherWindowDefinition += "" otherWindowDefinition += "Moreover he [Theophilus] went up into the temple of Serapis, which has been described by some as excelling in size and beauty all the temples in the world. There he saw a huge image of which the bulk struck beholders with terror, increased by a lying report which got abroad that if any one approached it, there would be a great earthquake, and that all the people would be destroyed. The bishop looked on all these tales as the mere drivelling of tipsy old women, and in utter derision of the lifeless monster's enormous size, he told a man who had an axe to give Serapis a good blow with it." otherWindowDefinition += " No sooner had the man struck, than all the folk cried out, for they were afraid of the threatened catastrophe. Serapis however, who had received the blow, felt no pain, inasmuch as he was made of wood, and uttered never a word, since he was a lifeless block. His head was cut off, and forthwith out ran multitudes of mice, for the Egyptian god was a dwelling place for mice. Serapis was broken into small pieces of which some were committed to the flames, but his head was carried through all the town in sight of his worshippers, who mocked the weakness of him to whom they had bowed the knee." otherWindowDefinition += "" myOtherWindow.document.write(otherWindowDefinition) myOtherWindow.document.close() } }