_The Attalic Library, of which Eumenes was the founder. Certain
errors of statement about it made by Pliny and Vitruvius. Its
size and the length of time it existed._
The Attalic or Pergamene library, in Asia, was almost as illustrious
as the Alexandrian. When the Attalic kings, minor powers at first,
became great and rich through an alliance with the Romans, they
adorned their capital city in many ways and erected in it a library.
Strabo regarded Eumenes, the son of King Attalus, as the founder of
this collection. “Eumenes,” he says, “built the city and beautifully
adorned it as it now is, with temples and a library.” Pliny says,
“According to Varro there was a rivalry over their respective
libraries between Ptolemy and Eumenes, and the former forbade the
exportation of paper from his kingdom, and the latter of parchment
from his.” Jerome, in his letter to Chromatius, and Aelian, made
similar statements, though they say it was Attalus who was jealous of
Ptolemy, and not Eumenes. Concerning neither of them, however, can
the story be true; for, as a comparison of dates will show, they both
lived almost a century after Philadelphus. How, then, could there
have been between them the jealousy which Pliny speaks of? Unless,
indeed, “Ptolemy” is used simply in reference to the kings of Egypt
in general, and refers here not to Philadelphus but to Ptolemy the
Fifth, generally called Ptolemy Epiphanes, who was a contemporary of
Eumenes. He perhaps, though he was not at all distinguished for his
zeal in regard to libraries, forbade the exportation of paper, in
fear lest another new library should rival his own more ancient one.
The erroneous or careless statement just noted is still more crudely
put by Vitruvius. He says, to quote him directly, “After the Attalic
kings, led by their great interest and delight in literature,
established for general enjoyment a superb library at Pergamum,
Ptolemy, stirred to a boundless zeal by their example, and rivalling
them in activity, endeavoured to establish at Alexandria a library
equal to theirs.” How absurd the statement! As if the Attalic kings
antedated the Alexandrian in this art! As if, in this field of books,
the latter caught from the former their zeal, or looked to them
for example! Why, the exact opposite was true; for the Ptolemies
practised the art of establishing libraries long before the Attalic
kings had ever thought of it. It is possible, of course, that here
again the writer alludes, without naming him, to one of the later
Ptolemies. But even then it remains true that the Pergamene library
never rivalled the Alexandrian in either resources or age. Plutarch
writes to this effect where, mentioning both libraries, he says that
Antony the Triumvir, fascinated by the charms of Cleopatra, gave
to her the library at Pergamum, in which were two hundred thousand
volumes. I use the word “volumes” and not “titles,” for I think the
word which Plutarch uses refers to several works bound together in
one volume, and that these several works are not counted in giving
the size of the library.
This Pergamene library ceased to exist, then, soon after the
destruction of the first Alexandrian one; but lived again in the
latter when it was reëstablished. Was it set up again in its
own city? Certainly Strabo’s words, quoted above, if carefully
considered, seem to imply that it was. For he says, “was erected
where it now is.” What does he mean by “now”? Plainly the time when
he, Strabo, was writing, which was in the reign of Tiberius. So it
appears that the victorious Augustus, who annulled much that Antony
did, either brought the library back to its old home in Pergamum, or,
what is more probable, caused it to be copied again and reëstablished
it. But on this point I do not venture to speak with certainty.