User:Babymel418/Library of Celsus

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History

The Celsus Library was a library that was both tribute and grave to Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaneus, a Greek man who became a Roman senator. The library was located in Ephesus, Greece at the time under the control of the Roman Empire. The city is now Seljuk, Turkey. He may have been the first Greek to become a Roman senator, however there is scholarly debate that this may or may not be true. Celsus’ family most likely became part of the Roman Empire under the reign of Tiberius (AD 14-37) as he is named after Tiberius, which may have been to pay homage to the Emperor. Celsus served as a Roman senator, consul, and praetor, rising through the ranks very quickly. He then retired and returned to Ephesus, his home. After Celsus’ passing, his son Gaius Julius Aquila built the library in his honor, using both Greek and Roman techniques. In Roman culture, the wealthy and privileged were expected to act as benefactors, and use their wealth for the greater good of the city. This Roman belief expanded to Roman territories, such as Ephesus where Aquila built the library in honor of his father, but also to benefit Ephesus as a whole. The library itself also embodies Roman values of sharing knowledge and growing literacy.

Architecture

The four statues of the female virtues are not originals, but were replaced with four random female statues. The features of the library that are Greek are the facade on the outside that was built with false perspective. This means that the inside columns are longer while the outside columns are higher. Though the columns are not identical, the illusion is that they are. This makes the library look larger on the outside and more grand than it actually is. On the inside, there are three levels of bookcases meant to be accessed through stairways. The main staircase was flanked by two inscriptions, one in Greek and one in Latin which caters to both Romans and Greeks of all literate classes. There is also a Hellenistic scroll on the doorways that has a Roman symbol, which shows the interaction of both cultures. The features that are Roman are the composite capitals, which are the base and top of the outside columns that are decorated. The tripartite theatrical frons scenae is also a Roman invention. Several Roman motifs appeared throughout the library, including reliefs fashioned after Caesar's that had never been seen before in Ephesus or Asia Minor in general.

The statue of Celsus found in the library the now rests in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum is another example of cultures meshing. Celsus is depicted with the Alexander the Great stare, and has a 5th century B.C. Greek helmet next to him. He is also wearing Roman armor and standard issue Roman military boots.