During the Roman Period ,
Alexandria
suffered various disasters and various wars that left behind a great deal of destruction . It was struck by the Bucolic War in 172-5 as well as the sabotage of Caracalla in 215 , Valerian in 253 , the troops of Zenobia (Queen of Palmyra) in 269 , and Aurelian in 273 . This latter destroyed completely the Bruchion and damaged both the Museum and the Library . One of the worst damages suffered by the city was the revolt of Lucius Domitius , in 297 , which ended after
Diocletian
besieged the city for 8 months (victory commemorated by the so-called "Pillar of Pompey") . It is said that after the capitulation of the city , Diocletian ordered that the carnage would continue until the blood reached the knees of his horse .
Besides the wars , the city suffered several earthquakes; the one in 365 was particularly devastating . According to some sources , the death toll reached 50 , 000 in Alexandria . It is documented that at least 20% of the city of the Ptolemies sank in the waters , including the Bruchion and the Library .
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