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With over 200,000 volumes, the library at Pergamum was second in size and significance only to the Alexandrian Library in Egypt. Prominently featured in a reading room in the library was a statue of Athena. It was a fitting location as Athena was a goddess associated with wisdom. A sanctuary of Athena was located inside the library.
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Statue of Athena is on display at the Berlin Museum
Some think the size and quality of the collection at Pergamum was enhanced by the use of parchment, a product developed and named after the city — charta pergamena. Prior to its creation, manuscripts were written on papyrus, which was only produced in Alexandria.
When King Eumenes of Pergamum asked for more imports of papyrus, the Ptolemies of Egypt refused the request. Eumenes then commanded an alternative source be found. That led to the development of parchment, which is made from thin sheets of animal hide. The development of parchment reduced the Roman’s dependence on Egyptian papyrus, and greatly expanded the holdings of the Pergamum Library
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