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By the time of Julius Caesar, the library was likely already diminished, with fewer significant works and scholars than during its golden age in the 3rd century BC. Though Caesar's actions in 48 BC did involve setting fire to ships in the harbor, it's uncertain whether the library was fatally affected; the evidence is conflicting and suggestive rather than definitive.
The Fate of the Library
The surviving literary references to the library hint at a continuous presence but with a declining influence. Strabo, for instance, writing in the late 1st century BC, implies that the celebrated library of earlier times existed mainly in the past. By this period, Alexandria’s significant scholarly reputation was waning.