A brief library history of ancient Rome
For the first five hundred years of Rome history, there was no library due to oral culture of the first Roman civilization. By the end of Republic in the first century B.C., scholars and writers to simply copy their works themselves, or have it done in the patrons’ house to distribute the manuscripts to friends. So that the writers were able to reach their immediate audience but no further.
Through contact with Hellenic world, Rome had concepts of “library” and “books”. The first libraries in Rome were private collections resulting from the conquest of Greek states. From the conquest of Macedonia in 168 B.C., Rome brought the great library at Pergamum and Sulla captured of Aristotle’s famed collections. These resulting of spoils from war, earliest Roman libraries were largely private collections held by wealthy people as status symbols.
The most outstanding private library in early Rome was Lucius Licinius Lucullus’s library. He was thought one of the richest men in the Roman World at that time and was famous for his luxurious way of life, acquired as part of his war booty an enormous library, which was laid out, a complex of rooms for holding, colonnades where users could work, and lounges where they could meet and chat. Lucullus generously made his collections available not only friends and relatives but to the Greek literati living in Rome.In this age of private libraries, almost acquisitions were made through a combination of friendship and copying. People acquired books that had been written in earlier ages by borrowing form friends who owned them and having their staff make copies. People acquired current books as gifts or presentation copies from the author. Those who wanted copies but did not know the author and hence were not on his list of donees could borrow a copy from someone who has and reproduced it. Once an author spoke his book in the public domain, anyone could make a copy of it.
Early Public libraries in Roman Empire
Julius Caesar planned to establish a public library for public use a library of Greek books and one of Latin books, both as big as possible to enhance Rome’s cultural status by giving a public library. Caesar appointed Marcus Terentius Varro, a famous scholar and book collector, to gather copies of the best-known literature for a Roman public library. However, these plans were cut out when Caesar’s assassination in 44 B.C. The arrangement that Caesar had planned – two sections for Greek works and Latin works separately- became standard structure of Roman libraries.The First Public Library in Rome by Gaius Asinius Pollio
The first Roman public library was founded by Asinius Pollio- statesman, commander, poet, historian, and one of Caesar’s supporters- in 37 B.C. It was centrally located just off the Forum and had two sections, one for Greek works and another for Latin works that Caesar had planned for his library.
The second/third Libraries in Rome by Emperor Augustus Caesar
The second public library was called “Library of the Temple of Apollo” or “the Palatine Library” and it was divided into Greek and Latin sections, like Caesar’s plan. This library on the Palatine Hill was one of the two major libraries in Rome for several hundred years.The third public library was in the Porticus Octaviae, a magnificent structure built in honour of Octavia, his sister Octavia and was dedicated to the memory of her son who had died in 23 B.C.
Trajan's libraries
Trajan is best known for his extensive public building program which reshaped the city of Rome including Trajan’s Forum, Trajan’s Market, and Trajan’s column. Trajan’s library was a part of Forum.
Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus, commonly known as Trajan was the 13th Roman Emperor.Trajan’s library reveals dramatically the vast difference between Greek and Roman libraries. Greek libraries had no reading facilities but Roman libraries were designed primarily for readers, to provide them with spacious, handsome surroundings in which to work.
At that time, the patrons of public libraries were mostly lawyers, philosophers, teachers, scholars, and literature and learning writers.Ulpia Library or Bibliotheca Ulpia was the most famous library of antiquity and the only one to survive at least until the mid-fifth century.
Public libraries as a part of public bath and origin of branch library etc.
In Roman Empire, imperial public libraries are distinguished by two types. One type of libraries is attached to a temple like Augustus’s on palatine Hill, another type of libraries is in the forum within a large complex like Trajan’s. Trajan’s was the last of such libraries to go up. This does not mean that construction of public libraries in Rome came to an end. It went on, but in a special place where the libraries clearly served a wider and different audience. Imperial libraries were incorporated in the imperial public baths.Public baths became so popular that by the middle of the third century B.C. there were almost two hundred of them. Public baths were given by Augustus and Agrippa to give free bath for their citizen. Subsequent emperors went a step further: they built baths that were not only free but superbly equipped and sumptuously decorated. What is more, over and above offering the full range of services of bathing establishment such as warm rooms, hot rooms, sweat rooms, cold plunges, and massage chambers. These complexes served as recreational and cultural centres including bathing facilities, gardens, courts for exercising, playing games, rooms for meetings or recitals or lectures and libraries.There are some photos of the libraries as a part of the public baths in Roman Empire.
Concept of branch library was occurred when public libraries became a port of public baths. According to the article called “Public libraries in Ancient Rome: ideology and reality” written by Tk. Keith Dix, some potion of the books from Forum of Trajan had been moved to the Baths of Diocletian for storage or to establish a branch library.
Including imperial libraries and libraries in the public baths, there were 29 libraries in city of Rome. But in 378, the historian Ammianus Marcellinus commented, “The libraries are closing forever, like tombs.” As the Roman Empire fell, libraries seemed doomed to extinction.
Libraries were outside the city of Rome
During Roman Empire, there were outstanding libraries which were built outsides the city of Rome.
The Library of Hadrian at Athens
Hadrian, one of five good emperors in Roman Empire and nephew of Trajan, built the Library of Hadrian in AD 132 on the North side of the Acropolis of Athens. The library was a typical Roman forum architectural style, having only one entrance with a propylon of Corinthina order, a high surrounding wall with protruding niches at its long sides, an inner courtyard surrounded by columns and a decorative oblong pool in the middle. The library was on the eastern side where rolls of Papyrus were kept. Adjoining halls were used as reading rooms, and the corners served as lecture halls.
The Library of Celsus at Ephesus
The library of Celsus in Asia Minor, Ephesus in Turkey, was built in honor of Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus in AD 135 by his son. The library was built to store 12,000 scrolls and to serve as monumental tomb for Celsus. The most remarkable feature is the façade, all of marble and in two levels elaborately adorned with columns, prominent aedicule, and a number of statues.
There are other records of libraries outside the city of Rome such as newly added Pergamum libraries, the library at Timgad in Africa, and Carthage etc,.
Conclusion
During Roman Empire, libraries were often built to enhance culture and civilization or demonstrate honor of emperors and public libraries became centre of culture and society. As time went by libraries became essential facilities in Rome Empire like modern world.
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