mountainman

I have gathered together a tabulation of citations
which evidence the burning and destruction of
Knowledge (in the form of literature) by the 4th
Century Christian regime.

In addition to the citations relating to libraries
and/or libraries which are associated with temples
I have also listed citations to the burning of specific
works of specific authors, and for instances where
"prohibited books" attracted the attention of systematic
"search and destroy" policy.

I have also attempted to provide the sources where
possible, although the tabulation is not yet complete.

In reference to this thread, and according to the data
presented in this tabulation, my count of libraries and/or
libraries associated with temples which were destroyed
by fire, by fourth century christians, is at least 10:


The following were taken out by Constantine
between the years 324 and 326 ...

* Temple of Asklepios (Aigai, Cilicia)
* Sanctuary of Asklepios (Pergamon)
* Temple of Aphrodite (Aphaca)
* Temple of Aphrodite (Heliopolis, Phoenicia)
* Temple at Mamre (near Hebron, Judea)

See: Constantine and the Problem of Anti-Pagan Legislation in the Fourth Century - Scott Bradbury, Classical Philology, Vol. 89, No. 2 (Apr., 1994), pp. 120-139



The remnant were taken out in the late 4th:

* Library of Antioch (Jovian)
* Temples of Syria (via Libanius)
* Jewish Synagogue (Callinicum, Mesopotania)
* Valentinian gnostic chappel (Callinicum, Mesopotania)
* Library of Alexandria, Egypt


Best wishes,



Pete Brown

QUOTES for the DAY:

"This black-robed tribe who eat more than elephants
sweep across the countryside like a river in spate …
and, by ravaging the temples, they ravage the estates"

--- Libanius, Oration 30.9


"The unsanctioned use of force"

--- Libanius, Oration 30.12

mountainman

UPDATE: (Since I cannot edit)

The count of temples (and associated libraries)
destroyed by christians in the fourth century is
now listed as twenty-eight.

It is emphatically not one (or worse, zero).

Those who wish to reduce the list of 28 citations
need to argue from the source documents.

Best wishes,



Pete Brown