Kallimachos: The Alexandrian Library and the Origins of Bibliography (Wisconsin Studies in Classics) [Hardcover]

Rudolf Blum (Author), Hans H. Wellisch (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 029913170X | ISBN-13: 978-0299131708 | Publication Date: December 15, 1991 | Edition: 1

The famous library of Alexandria, founded around 295 BCE by Ptolemaios I, housed the greatest collection of texts in the ancient world and was a fertile site of Hellenistic scholarship. Rudolf Blum’s landmark study, originally published in German in 1977, argues that Kallimachos of Kyrene was not only the second director of the Alexandrian library but also the inventor of two essential scholarly tools still in use to this day: the library catalog and the “biobibliographical” reference work. Kallimachos expanded the library’s inventory lists into volumes called the Pinakes, which extensively described and categorized each work and became in effect a Greek national bibliography and the source and paradigm for most later bibliographic lists of Greek literature. Though the Pinakes have not survived, Blum attempts a detailed reconstruction of Kallimachos’s inventories and catalogs based on a careful analysis of surviving sources, which are presented here in full translation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“An invaluable resource for anyone interested in the development of ancient bibliography.”—Jerry Clack, The Classic World

“Blum . . . shows how the potential of the Alexandrian library was realized by its earliest curators. In doing so, he has contributed much to our understanding of the nature of the ancient library at Alexandria and its significance in the history of bibliography.”—Graham Jefcoate, Library Quarterly

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 282 pages
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press; 1 edition (December 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 029913170X
• ISBN-13: 978-0299131708
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,775,687 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4.0 out of 5 stars praiseworthy and beneficial, August 6, 2000

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Francesca Jourdan (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kallimachos: The Alexandrian Library and the Origins of Bibliography (Wisconsin Studies in Classics) (Hardcover)

The author discusses the life of Kallimachos, who lived during the reigns of Ptolemy I and II; he was the first librarian and bibliographer, as well as author of the first catalog titled Pinakes. Though this work has not survived, the author analyzes surviving sources and discusses the size of the library under Ptolemy II. The first English edition of this book, this is unquestionably serious and valuable for interested students and scholars.