Library of Antioch

The Royal Library of Antioch was commissioned by Antiochus III (or Antiochus the Great) of the Seleucid Empire (a successor state of Alexander the Great's empire) around 221 B.C. in Ancient Syria and opened it to scholars. Euphorion of Chalcis, an intellectually influential ancient poet from Greece accepted the challenge issued by the king and established the royal library at Antioch. He also served as principal librarian until his death. The library, along with the city itself, was considered by some to be the cultural capital of the ancient world, even more prestigious than Pergamon.

The Royal Library of Antioch was destroyed in 363 AD by the Christian Emperor Jovian, who "at the urging of his wife, burned the temple with all the books in it with his concubines laughing and setting the fire", which greatly displeased the citizens of the city as they could only watch angrily as the collection went up in smoke. Johannes Hahn in his work Gewalt und religiöser Konflikt (pp. 178–180) relates:

"Jovian ordered the destruction of the Traianeum, which Julian had converted to a library, because he wanted to gain the favor of the Antiochians. However, he failed completely: not only the pagans but also the Christians interpreted this as a barbaric act."

The Royal Library of Antioch had been heavily stocked with "unholy" pagan literature by the aid of his non-Christian predecessor, Emperor Julian. This collection also included the pagan works of the library of George, Arian Bishop of Alexandria, hated by Christians and pagans alike, who was murdered by an Alexandrian pagan mob in 361. The Emperor Julian then procured his library—replete with many classical texts—and added them to the library of Antioch.^{[citation needed]}

There is also a possibility that another structure was also considered a part of the Royal Library, but this is uncertain according to scholars. At some time between 114 B.C and 92 B.C. during the reign of either Antiochus IX (114-95 BC) or Antiochus X (95-92 BC), Antioch also acquired the means for a Museum with a library to be built with the monies bequeathed to the city in the will of Maron, a merchant of Antioch who had relocated to Athens, but like many merchants of the day who moved left a portion of left a portion of his estate to his native city.

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