Telling the story of ancient libraries from their very beginnings, when books were clay tablets, a renowned classicist takes readers on a lively tour from the royal libraries of the ancient Near East to the private and public libraries of Greece and Rome, down to the first Christian monastic libraries, explaining what books were acquired and how. Illustrations The story of Ancient libraries from their very beginnings, when books were clay tablets and writing was a new phenomenon. Lionel Casson explores the royal libraries of the Ancient Near East, the private and public libraries of Greece and Rome, and the first Christian monastic libraries. Preface ix Maps xi The Beginnings: The Ancient Near East 1(16) The Beginnings: Greece 17(14) The Library of Alexandria 31(17) The Growth of Libraries 48(13) The Beginnings: Rome 61(19) Libraries of the Roman Empire: The City of Rome 80(29) Libraries of the Roman Empire: Outside the City of Rome 109(15) From Roll to Codex 124(12) Toward the Middle Ages 136(11) Abbreviations 147(2) Notes 149(18) List of Illustrations 167(4) Index 171