Kulabo abazibuzayo, Umtapo wolwazi wase-Alexandria wawungumtapo wolwazi omkhulu eGibhithe owacekelwa phansi eminyakeni eyi-1,300 edlule. Lo mtapo wawunezinkulungwane zemiqulu nezincwadi ezikhuluma ngezibalo, ubunjiniyela, isayensi yezinto eziphilayo, ukuma kwezwe, amapulani, imithi, imidlalo, nemibhalo ebalulekile.
Eqinisweni, umtapo wolwazi wase-Alexandria wawuyingxenye yeMnyuziyamu kanye nesikhungo socwaningo lwesayensi esizinikele olwazini. Yakhiwa ngesikhathi sokubusa kukaPtolemy II Philadelphus phakathi kuka-284 no-246 BC.
Ababusi baseGibhithe abangamaPtolemaic bakhuthaza intuthuko nokuqoqwa kolwazi. Banikeza imifundaze kososayensi, izazi zefilosofi nezimbongi ukuba beze bazohlala e-Alexandria. Ngokushintshana, ababusi babethola iseluleko mayelana nendlela yokubusa izwe labo elikhulu.
E-Alexandria, ukomela kwezincwadi kwakukhulu kakhulu, kwabhalwa ukuthi imikhumbi efikayo yayalelwa ukuba inikele ngezincwadi zayo, ezathathwa futhi zakopishwa ngababhali. Abanikazi bawo bathola ikhophi kanye nemibhalo yokuqala yagcinwa futhi yafakwa eMtatsheni Wezincwadi Wase-Alexandria.
Abacabangi abavela kulo lonke elaseMedithera babevame ukuza e-Alexandria bezofunda. Iningi lemisebenzi emikhulu yempucuko yasendulo kuze kube yileso sikhathi yalahleka. Uma umtapo wolwazi usekhona kuze kube yilolu suku, umphakathi kungenzeka ukuthi ubuthuthuke kakhulu futhi besizokwazi okwengeziwe ngomhlaba wasendulo.
Kodwa lo mtapo omkhulu wabhujiswa nini futhi kanjani?
Ukucekelwa phansi kweLabhulali yase-Alexandria, eyaziwa nangokuthi i-Mouseion, akuwona umcimbi ocacile onesizathu esisodwa. Kufana nokwehla ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ngenxa yezinto ezimbalwa. Nakhu ukuhlukaniswa kwemibono eyinhloko:
- Impi Yombango KaJulius Caesar (48 BC): Amanye ama-akhawunti akhuluma ngamabutho kaJulius Caesar ngephutha ashisa amadokodo ngesikhathi sempi, okuthiwa yasakazekela eMtatsheni Wezincwadi. Kodwa-ke, ubufakazi buphakamisa ukuthi Ilabhulali (noma okungenani izingxenye zayo) yasinda noma yakhiwa kabusha maduze nje.
- Ukwehla Kancane Kancane (Inkathi YamaRoma): Ukuntuleka kwezimali nokusekelwa phakathi nenkathi yamaRoma cishe kwaholela ekwehleni komtapo wolwazi.
- I-Arab Conquest (640 AD): Indaba edumile isola ukunqotshwa kwama-Arabhu e-Alexandria ngokucekelwa phansi komtapo wolwazi. Kodwa-ke, izazi eziningi manje zikholelwa ukuthi uMtapo Wezincwadi wawuvele usuyincithakalo ngaleli phuzu.
Nakuba imininingwane eqondile iphikiswana ngayo, kuphephile ukusho ukuthi ukwehla kweLabhulali kwenzeke emakhulwini eminyaka, asikho nesisodwa isigameko.
Ngakho-ke, yini ngempela esaphuthelwa yiyo lapho uMtapo Wezincwadi wase-Alexandria ucekelwa phansi?
Ukucekelwa phansi koMtapo Wolwazi Wase-Alexandria kuthathwe njengesigameko esiyinhlekelele, hhayi nje ngenxa yokulahlekelwa inqwaba yolwazi kodwa nangenxa yokulahleka okungaba khona kwemibono edabukisayo nezinto eziqanjiwe ebezingalolonga umhlaba wethu namuhla.
Umtapo wolwazi ubunenani elilinganiselwa ku-40,000 kuya ku-500,000 lemibhalo evela emisuka nezihloko ezahlukahlukene. Ukwaziswa okuningi okwakukuqukethe kuyenza ibe yinqolobane yezazi-mlando nabacwaningi banamuhla. Kodwa-ke, okwenza ukubhujiswa kwayo kube yinhlekelele ukulahleka kwemibono nokuqanjwa okungenzeka kube nomthelela omkhulu emhlabeni wethu namuhla.
Okunye ukulahlekelwa okunjalo yizincwadi zikaCtesibius ezilotshiwe. Umsunguli nesazi sezibalo esidumile, uCtesibius wayaziwa ngokuthi “uyise we-pneumatics” ngenxa yocwaningo lwakhe nokuthakaselwa komoya ocindezelwe. Enye into eqanjiwe ephawulekayo kwakuyiwashi elalikwazi ukwenza kusebenze izindlela ngezikhathi ezimisiwe, njengesifanekiso esingama sodwa futhi sithele iminikelo phakathi nemibukiso ewubukhazikhazi eyayihlelwa uPtolemy II. Ngokudabukisayo, ayikho neyodwa yezincwadi zakhe ezilotshiwe esekhona nanamuhla.
Okunye ukulahlekelwa okuphawulekayo kwaba i-Pinakes, ikhathalogi yezincwadi eziyingqopha-mlando engazange imane ifake uhlu lwezincwadi kodwa futhi inikeze ulwazi oluphathelene nababhali kanye nokuhlolwa kobuqiniso. Le khathalogi ibingaba usizo kakhulu kubasebenzi baselabhulali ekulawuleni iqoqo elikhulu kangaka lemibhalo. Ngeshwa, lo mbhalo, kanye neminye eminingi evela kumtapo wolwazi, yalahleka ngesikhathi ibhujiswa.
Umphathi womtapo wolwazi e-Alexandria ngesikhathi sokukhula kwawo, u-Eratosthenes wenza enye yezimpumelelo ezinkulu zesayensi zezikhathi zasendulo. Wathola ukuthi uMhlaba uyindilinga futhi wabala ukuzungeza kwawo, into eyayingeke iphindwe emakhulwini eminyaka ezayo. Ngokulinganisa ibanga phakathi kwe-Alexandria ne-Syene nokuthola ukuthi atholakala endaweni efanayo, u-Eratosthenes waphetha ngokuthi isiyingi soMhlaba sasiphakathi kwamakhilomitha angama-39,060 nezi-40,320. Ukubeka lokhu ngendlela efanele, izilinganiso zesimanje zibeka umjikelezo woMhlaba kumakhilomitha angama-40,075. Lesi sibalo esihlaba umxhwele sika-Eretosthenes sabhekisela kuso ososayensi abaphawulekayo emakhulwini eminyaka kamuva, kodwa izincwadi zakhe ezilotshiwe zalahleka ngesikhathi sokubhujiswa komtapo wezincwadi.
Izinga lolwazi nokuthuthuka kwezibalo ezikhathini zasendulo kugcizelelwa nakakhulu izinto ezisanda kutholwa. Kwakukholelwa ukuthi ama-combinatorics, umkhakha wezibalo ophathelene nokuhlelwa nokuhlanganiswa kwezinto, wawungokwesimanjemanje. Kodwa-ke, ezingxoxweni zakhe, uPlutarch ubhekisela engxoxweni lapho uChrysippus ethi inani lokuhlangana okuvela ezitatimendeni eziyishumi ezilula lingaphezu kwesigidi esisodwa. Esinye isazi sezibalo, u-Hippasus, siyakuphikisa lokhu futhi sikhombisa ukuthi empeleni kukhona ama-intertwining angu-103,049. Ngo-1994, kwatholakala ukuthi le nombolo ihambisana nenombolo ye-10 ye-Schröder, ekhombisa inani lezindlela ukulandelana kwezimpawu eziyishumi ezingafakwa kubakaki. Lokhu okutholakele kubonisa ukuthi izinkinga zezibalo eziyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu zazisetshenzwa ezikhathini zasendulo.
Yize lezi kuyizibonelo ezimbalwa zalokho okungenzeka ukuthi silahlekelwe ngokucekelwa phansi koMtapo Wezincwadi wase-Alexandria, kukholakala ukuthi bekuneminye imibono ephusile kanye nezinto eziqanjiwe ezingakaze zabiwe noma ziqoshwe. Umtapo wolwazi ubuyisizinda sokushintshisana ngobuhlakani nokusebenzisana, futhi akunakwenzeka ukulinganisa ukuthi iyiphi intuthuko eyengeziwe ebingafinyelelwa ukube ubungacekelwanga.
Ukulahleka koMtapo Wezincwadi wase-Alexandria kwakungekhona nje ukulahlekelwa ulwazi, kodwa kwaba igalelo elilimazayo ekuqhubekeleni phambili kolwazi lomuntu. Ukucekelwa phansi kwalo mtapo wolwazi omkhulu kusebenza njengesikhumbuzo sobuthakathaka besikhathi sethu esidlule kanye nokubaluleka kokulondoloza umlando wethu nolwazi lwezizukulwane ezizayo. Kungukulahlekelwa okudabukisayo okusalokhu kusithinta nanamuhla, njengoba singacabanga nje ukuthi ingakanani intuthuko emangalisayo ebesingayithola ukube umtapo wolwazi ubungashiswanga.
