Interesting numbers on the size of large private libraries in antiquity:
- Serenus Sammonicus: 62,000 papyrus rolls
- Epaphroditus: 30,000 rolls
- Pamphilius of Caesarea: 30,000 rolls
In comparison, the Serapaeum of Alexandria (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serapeum_…) contained 42,800 rolls
- Serenus Sammonicus: 62,000 papyrus rolls
- Epaphroditus: 30,000 rolls
- Pamphilius of Caesarea: 30,000 rolls
In comparison, the Serapaeum of Alexandria (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serapeum_…) contained 42,800 rolls
All numbers from Christian Jacob’s “The Web of Athenaeus”, which cites the original sources: chs.harvard.edu/book/jacob-chr…
Also from Jacob: “The physician Galen, one of Athenaeus’ characters, also owned an imposing collection of books, which went up in flames, together with other libraries in the Forum and Palatine areas during the fire of AD 192.”
“If one accepts at face value the numbers provided by Gulick, Athenaeus cites around 800 authors and 2,500 works”
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